G20 Movie Review: Viola Davis Anchors an Uneven Thriller

In this G20 movie review we’re discussing an action-thriller with the makings of a geopolitical Die Hard, director Patricia Riggen places Oscar-winner Viola Davis front and center as a U.S. president forced to return to her military roots when terrorists seize control of a high-stakes international summit. Despite a timely premise and a cast packed with talent, the film delivers more formula than firepower. With a heavy-handed script, clunky dialogue, and uneven pacing, G20 ultimately squanders its potential, becoming a middling genre entry that leans too hard on tropes without earning the tension they require.

Setup:

The setup is undeniably bold. President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis) is not only a decorated military veteran but also a sitting head of state caught in a brutal siege during a G20 summit in Cape Town. When a team of mercenaries, led by the villainous Edward Rutledge (Antony Starr), storms the venue, Sutton must rely on her combat training to protect world leaders, her own family, and the fragile balance of global power.

At the center of this storm is Davis, whose gravitas anchors the film, elevating even its most clichéd scenes. Whether she’s staring down the barrel of a gun or delivering a rousing speech about economic equity, Davis embodies a woman balancing ferocity with diplomacy. Her physical performance is as convincing as her emotional range, and her presence keeps G20 from tipping into straight-to-streaming mediocrity. However, even her excellence can’t overcome a screenplay that feels overstuffed and underdeveloped.

A Weak Script:

Writers Caitlin Parrish, Erica Weiss, and the Miller brothers load the script with topical concerns – cryptocurrency, global corruption, economic inequality, and misinformation via deepfakes — but these themes are explored at a surface level. Rather than diving into the nuance of any one issue, the film uses them as window dressing to justify action beats. The result is a patchwork of modern anxieties filtered through genre spectacle, with little room to breathe.

The action sequences are competent but rarely inventive. There’s a utilitarian feel to the choreography, guns blaze, bodies fall, and Viola Davis dispatches villains with brute efficiency — but there’s little in the way of standout set pieces. A late-film helicopter showdown hints at the scale and operatic intensity the movie could have embraced throughout, but by then, fatigue has already set in.

The pacing is uneven, bouncing from family drama to global diplomacy to firefights without a strong tonal throughline. The first act is bogged down by exposition and thin character development, particularly regarding Sutton’s children Serena (Marsai Martin) and Demetrius (Christopher Farrar), and her husband Derek (Anthony Anderson). While the First Family adds stakes, their dynamic feels more sketched than lived-in.

Supporting Actors That Feel Underused:

Antony Starr, best known for The Boys, plays Rutledge with intensity, but the character feels disappointingly one-dimensional. His cyber-terrorism, rooted in betrayal and grief, could have been compelling, but the film reduces it to high-tech MacGuffins.

Supporting players like Ramón Rodríguez (Agent Manny Ruiz) and Elizabeth Marvel (Treasury Secretary Joanna Worth) are competent but underused. The ensemble, including Clark Gregg, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Douglas Hodge, are mostly sidelined as hostages or background chatter.

Lackluster Direction:

Riggen, known for The 33, directs with competence but without flair. The cinematography is flat, and the hotel setting lacks personality. Attempts to show global urgency via media cutaways fall flat. The score offers pounding drums and swelling strings—but adds little emotion or tension.

Viola Davis is the Standout:

Viola Davis is the reason to watch G20. She delivers gravitas, physicality, and poise that elevate the material. Her performance makes the absurd seem possible, at least for a moment. Unfortunately, the rest of the film rarely rises to meet her level.

Thematically, G20 wants to say something about technology, leadership, and trust. But with thin characters and scattered execution, it says little of lasting value.

Overall:

G20 feels like a missed opportunity. With Viola Davis in the lead and a globally relevant premise, it had the chance to be something great. Instead, it’s a generic action-thriller with a few highlights and a lot of wasted potential. G20 has the bones of a smart political action-thriller, and Viola Davis gives it everything she’s got. But clunky writing and flat direction hold it back from greatness. It’s worth a watch for fans of Air Force One or The Woman King, but temper your expectations.