G20 Parent Guide

Having worked twice as hard to get where she is, President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis) is determined to stay tough. The Iraq War veteran doesn’t give an inch with her rebellious teenage daughter (Marsai Martin) and she still trains with her Secret Service agents - a habit that just might save the world.

Determined to keep an eye on 17-year-old Serena, President Sutton brings the whole family along on her trip to the G20 meeting in South Africa. Diplomacy isn’t her forte, but the President hopes to persuade world leaders to endorse her plan to use digital currency as a way to boost the economies of poor nations and end an ongoing hunger crisis.

As she frets about diplomatic challenges, President Sutton has no idea that her biggest problem won’t be a patronizing British Prime Minister (Douglas Hodge). Instead, a rogue Australian takes world leaders hostage and enacts a spectacular plot to crash global currencies - and POTUS and her Secret Service agent, Manny (Ramon Rodriguez), will be the best hope to save the day.

Let me be brief: If you liked Air Force One, you’ll probably like G20. In both movies, a gritty American President saves the day, except in G20, the president is Black, female, and has to save her family along with a roomful of world leaders. She also has the benefit of being on the ground, instead of 30,000 feet in the air (but the screenwriters do manage to introduce a helicopter action scene).

The movie is chock full of action scenes (some more plausible than others) which are responsible for most of the production’s negative content. People are shot, stabbed, kicked, punched, choked, and blown up and are sometimes harmed to coerce other people into falling in line. Other negative content is minor – there’s a brief scene of underage drinking and a few swear words, but the movie is surprisingly clean for an action thriller. The Restricted rating is fair, but the movie is probably fine for older teens - it’s not much more violent than superhero flicks; the injuries are simply less sanitized.

Action movies tend to follow predictable beats and G20 is no exception, but I will give credit to the screen writers for waving at other issues in between the explosions and punch-‘em-ups. There’s a look at the trauma carried by some military veterans, a warning about the dangers of conspiracist thinking, a reminder that rebellious children can also be strong and capable, a tribute to international cooperation, and a glance at racist entitlement. The film also delivers strong messages about loyalty, courage, selflessness, unity, and the critical importance of families. If you’re a fan of action thrillers, you’ll likely enjoy G20. It isn’t world-beating, but it’s perfectly fine for an evening of popcorn and explosions.