Released on April 10, 2025, G20 is a high-octane political action thriller directed by Patricia Riggen and starring Viola Davis as U.S. President Danielle Sutton. The film unfolds during a G20 summit in Cape Town, South Africa, where a terrorist siege threatens global stability. Blending intense action with themes of political intrigue and technological manipulation, G20 showcases Davis in a commanding role that highlights her versatility as an actress.
The story begins in Budapest, where Edward Rutledge (Antony Starr), a former Australian Special Forces operative, and his team of mercenaries acquire a \$70 million cryptocurrency wallet. Rutledge, disillusioned and seeking revenge against global leadership, plans to disrupt the world economy.
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Meanwhile, U.S. President Danielle Sutton, a decorated Iraq War veteran, is dealing with personal challenges, including her daughter Serena’s rebellious behaviour. To manage both family and state affairs, Sutton brings her husband Derek and their children, Serena and Demetrius, to the G20 summit in Cape Town.
At the summit, Sutton and Treasury Secretary Joanna Worth propose a plan to empower sub-Saharan farmers through digital currency. However, Rutledge and his mercenaries infiltrate the heavily fortified hotel hosting the summit, overpower security forces, and take world leaders hostage. Sutton, along with Secret Service Agent Manny Ruiz, UK Prime Minister Oliver Everett, IMF head Elena Romano, and South Korean First Lady Han Minh-Seo, manage to evade capture. Simultaneously, Derek rescues their children and avoids detection.
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Rutledge broadcasts his actions globally, accusing world leaders of corruption and urging citizens to invest in cryptocurrency, thereby inflating the value of his own holdings. He employs deepfake technology to manipulate the images and voices of the hostages, spreading misinformation and destabilising financial markets.
As the situation escalates, Serena sends a distress message to Vice President Harold Mosely. Derek is eventually captured by a traitorous Secret Service agent, Darden. Sutton and Ruiz, despite injuries, navigate the hotel to reach “the Beast,” the presidential armored limousine. Rutledge executes the Australian Prime Minister and the South Korean President to pressure Sutton into revealing her location. Darden confronts Sutton but is killed by Ruiz. Serena and Demetrius are rescued by undercover South African agents Melokuhle and Lesedi.
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Han Minh-Seo discovers her husband’s body among the hostages. Romano and Everett use the Beast to breach the hotel’s perimeter, while Lesedi neutralises the mercenaries’ missile threat. Everett informs Mosely of Sutton’s plan to save the hostages. Ruiz disables the hotel’s power, and Melokuhle and Lesedi take control of the surveillance system.
Sutton surrenders to save her husband and Worth, allowing Rutledge to create a final deepfake that crashes the American economy, netting him \$150 billion. He accuses Sutton of profiting from war, referencing her rise to prominence after a heroic act in Iraq. Rutledge shoots Derek, but Han stabs Rutledge, causing him to drop the cryptocurrency wallet. A strike team then proceeds to rescue the hostages.
Derek survives due to his bulletproof vest. Sutton realises Worth was colluding with Rutledge. Rutledge attempts to escape with Serena via helicopter, but Sutton confronts him, leading to a struggle where the wallet falls into the forest. Sutton tackles Rutledge out of the helicopter, resulting in his death. The strike team secures the helicopter and rescues Serena.
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In the aftermath, Worth is incarcerated, Ruiz recovers from his injuries, and President Sutton’s digital currency plan is adopted by the G20. The Sutton family returns to the White House, having survived a harrowing ordeal that tested their resilience and unity.
Cast: Viola Davis, Antony Starr, Marsai Martins, Anthony Anderson, Ramón Rodriguez, Elizabeth Marvel amongst many others
Director: Patricia Riggen
Runtime: 108 minutes
Watch trailer here.
