I recently watched the five-episode Netflix series Hostage, starring Julie Delpy alongside a cast of talented actors I wasn’t familiar with. The plot revolves around the British and French prime ministers caught in a high-stakes crisis. The British Prime Minister’s husband is taken hostage while on a humanitarian mission, and she is meeting with the French President (Delpy) in London when she finds out. She is given an ultimatum: resign as prime minister, or her husband will be killed. The story was enjoyable, with some sharp twists at the end of the first few episodes that kept me hooked.

What really stood out, though, was the political backdrop. As an American viewer, I found myself intrigued by the interplay between French and British politics—systems I don’t fully understand but enjoyed seeing dramatized. The series raised questions for me, especially around the British health care system and how something like a drug shortage could unfold in a country that has access to global supply. It reminded me how different the NHS is from the U.S. health care system.

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The production also provided an unexpected thrill: a look inside the British prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street. The show’s depiction made it seem surprisingly vulnerable, almost too easy to infiltrate, especially compared to the heavily guarded image of the American White House. It was probably about as realistic as villains breaking into the White House in movies like White House Down or Olympus Has Fallen.

Anytime a show weaves political commentary into its narrative, there’s always the risk of oversimplifying or misrepresenting the real motives behind the politics. To the series’ credit, I didn’t feel it leaned too hard in one direction or distorted the issues. Instead, it kept its focus on the drama and the human decisions under pressure, which worked well for the story. If I were British or French, I might have felt differently, but as an American it was nice to see a political action-drama and not have to care too much about the politics.

Right after finishing Hostage, I turned to something completely different: the action-comedy Heads of State with John Cena and Idris Elba. I really enjoyed this one—it was funny, fast-paced, and packed with creative action sequences that stood out from the usual formula.

What I liked most was that the movie didn’t take itself too seriously. While there was a quick nod to the political motivations behind the villains, it never got bogged down in commentary or tried to make a grand statement. Instead, it kept the focus on entertaining set pieces, witty banter, and the chemistry between Cena and Elba.

Overall, Heads of State was just a lot of fun to watch. It reminded me that sometimes a movie doesn’t need to be profound to be thoroughly enjoyable—it just needs to commit to giving the audience a good time, and this one absolutely delivered.

One downside: the entire world thinks the President and Prime Minister are dead. There’s even a scene with John Cena’s wife reacting to the news. It would have been nice to see a few minutes of family and global reactions when they were revealed to be alive.

Neither of these shows portrays Christianity, which is fairly typical. Both include plenty of bad language, violence, and in Hostage, even a strange sexual twist. Politically, Hostage could have easily attacked the right (as entertainment often does), but it didn’t. While the story involved politics, it avoided using “left vs. right” to define good guys and bad guys—which I appreciated.

In Heads of State, Cena’s U.S. President is clearly conservative. But the writers tried to portray the villain as an “America First” type, which made little sense since those views would actually overlap with the President’s. That choice came off clumsy, at best.

Ultimately, I recommend both of these. I wouldn’t watch Hostage again—but then, I rarely rewatch TV shows. On the other hand, I’d gladly watch Heads of State a second time. I watched it alone, but I think it would be even more fun with my wife or family.

When I rate movies, one of my categories is “watch again.” Would I want to watch it again? Most movies get a “no,” even ones I like. But Heads of State gets a “yes,” and that’s a strong endorsement. I might even pick it up in the bargain DVD bin—if DVDs were still a thing.

Watching Heads of State also got me thinking about the bigger picture—how well a film like this could have done in theaters. Over the years, I’ve seen article after article about how the box office is down, making less money each year even as ticket prices keep climbing. Why is that? COVID? Sequel fatigue? Superhero fatigue? Lack of creativity?

I’m sure all of those play a role, but maybe the biggest reason is that countless stars and creative movies have shifted to streaming. That’s a topic I plan to dive into in an upcoming post.

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