Couch Theatre: Heads of State
By Demi Taveras
"Heads of State" (PG-13) -- Out on July 2, this action-comedy film stars John Cena as U.S. President Will Derringer and Idris Elba as U.K. Prime Minister Sam Clarke. (With John Cena as the president, expect heavier comedy than action.) A meeting on Air Force One between the two world leaders goes awry, and after miraculously surviving a plane crash, the pair must lean on each other's skills to get themselves to safety.
John Cena and Idris Elba star in "Heads of State". Photo Credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
Luckily, they also have the help of MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra-Jonas), who will travel day and night to protect Will and Sam from their adversaries. Jack Quaid ("The Boys") and Paddy Considine ("House of the Dragon") co-star. (Amazon Prime Video)
"Thunderbolts" (PG-13) -- Although this latest Marvel film underperformed slightly at the box office, trailing behind its predecessor "Captain America: Brave New World," it still received positive reviews from critics and landed well with Marvel fans. Led by Florence Pugh, who reprises her role as Yelena from "Black Widow," "Thunderbolts" follows a group of ex-mercenaries who are baited into a trap by CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to cover up her illegal misdoings. After being thrown together haphazardly and forced to escape, this group of antiheroes eventually evolves into a full-fledged team, rivaling the CIA director and her corrupt plans. Sebastian Stan ("The Apprentice"), Wyatt Russell ("Night Swim"), and David Harbour ("Stranger Things") co-star in the film, out on July 1 to rent. (Apple TV+)
"The Alto Knights" (R) -- Director Barry Levinson hasn't struck gold with critics or audiences since his 2001 film "Bandits," which received two Golden Globe nominations. But perhaps signing on Robert De Niro to play the dual roles of two mobsters was Levinson's way of trying to bring back the appeal! This biographical crime-drama film out now follows mob boss Frank Costello and underboss Vito Genovese during the 1950s, just as an unsightly war begins between the two of them. What they couldn't have expected was that this war would lead to the inner workings of the American Mafia getting brought up to the surface for all the public to finally see. (Max)
"Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy" (TV-MA) -- On Nov. 5, 2021, the third annual Astroworld Festival was held in Houston under the management of rapper Travis Scott. Approximately 50,000 people attended the event. While Scott was performing, a crowd crush occurred that killed 10 people and injuring hundreds in total. Although the crowd crush was declared a mass casualty event around 9:40 p.m., Scott continued to perform to fans who were crying out for him to stop until about 10:15 p.m. Featuring firsthand accounts from survivors, event workers and medical staff, this documentary out now details this terrifying concert experience that absolutely should have been prevented. (Netflix)