As Heads of State continues its rule over the most-viewed movie charts on Prime Video, subscribers need to stay on the platform and give Nobody a chance. After all, Ilya Naishuller directed both movies with brimming panache, with Nobody proving to be an unlikely action star-making vehicle for Bob Odenkirk, the famed comedian who took his acting chops to the next level with Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
For those who enjoyed the blend of action and comedy that elevated Heads of State to the top of the viewing charts, Nobody is available just as the marketing for Nobody 2 is ramping up.
Why ‘Nobody’ Remains Ilya Naishuller’s Best Movie
Release Date
March 26, 2021
Runtime
92minutes
Director
Ilya Naishuller
Ilya Naishuller began his directorial career by making music videos for his band, Biting Elbows. In 2015, he made his feature film debut with the relentlessly stylish action movie Hardcore Henry, which put him on the global map as a new talent to be reckoned with. FollowingHardcore Henry, Naishuller returned to music videos for several years, directing videos for The Weeknd and Leningrad.
Ilya Naishuller’s Feature Films
Title
Release Date
Hardcore Henry
2015
Nobody
2021
Heads of State
2025
Naishuller finally made his sophomore feature with 2021’s Nobody, a pitch-perfect blend of dark comedy and hardcore action that arguably features Bob Odenkirk’s best dramatic performance since Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. In the movie, Odenkirk plays Hutch Mansell, a seemingly ordinary suburban father and husband who follows the same daily routine. When two thieves break into his house at night and rob Hutch at gunpoint, he calmly and casually allows them to take whatever they want as long as they don’t harm his family.
All that changes when Hutch realizes his daughter’s cute little kitty bracelet is missing, prompting a full-fledged death march of vengeance as he goes on the offensive to find the bracelet. Viewers slowly learn about Hutch’s elite military past, which justifies how and why he’s able to brutally waylay one villain after another, often multiple assailants at once, with his bare hands. There’s one unforgettable fight sequence where Hutch beats, bruises, and batters a busload of drunken hooligans, which beats every action scene Naishuller directed in Heads of State.
The result proves that Nobody is Naishuller’s best movie to date. Nobody holds an 84% Certified Fresh Tomato Meter score and a 94% Popcorn Meter on Rotten Tomatoes, which is roughly 20% higher than Heads of State on both accounts.
Why ‘Nobody’ Bests ‘Heads of State’
Amazon MGM Studios
Released on Prime Video on July 2, 2025, Heads of State is an action comedy with a lighthearted tone reminiscent of the 1990s. The story concerns rival politicians forced to work together to survive an attempt on their lives by Russian extremists. Said politicians include the former action movie star and current American President, Will Derringer (played by John Cena), and the former British commando and current UK Prime Minister, Sam Clarke (played by Idris Elba).
Much of the entertainment value of Heads of State is derived from the witty banter traded between Cena and Elba, as Sam constantly makes fun of Will’s inept leadership qualities and lack of political and combat experience. Yet, once terrorists attack Air Force One, Sam and Will must put aside their differences and navigate their way out of hostile Belarusian territory.
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Despite the amusing chemistry between Cena and Elba, Heads of State never quite reaches Nobody’s level of entertainment. It’s a fun summertime diversion with a few laughs and visceral jolts here and there, but it neither transcends the genre like Nobody did nor pushes the action-comedy genre into new territory. Critics and general moviegoers agree, with Heads of State boasting a 66% Tomato Meter and 77% Popcorn Meter scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
Nobody has an advantage on Metacritic as well, holding a 64 Metascore compared to Heads of States’ 57 Metascore. Beyond the pacing, performances, and subversive story that flips the action genre on its head, Nobody comes from a genuine source of inspiration that Heads of State cannot contend with.
What You Need to Know About ‘Nobody 2’
Universal Pictures
The first key tidbit to know about Nobody 2 is that Ilya Naishuller is not the director. Timo Tjahjanto has taken his place, following the Netflix action movies The Big 4 and The Shadow Strays. Fortunately, nearly everyone else has returned for the sequel, with Odenkirk reprising his role as Hutch Mansell.
Story-wise, Hutch finds himself in another hyperviolent bind when his tropical vacation getaway is rudely interrupted by unsavory individuals. For fans of the original or Heads of State, it’s nice to know that Christopher Lloyd will return as Hutch’s gun-toting father, David, as will RZA as Hutch’s half-brother, Harry. Connie Neilsen also returns as Hutch’s wife, Becca.
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New cast additions for Nobody 2 include Sharon Stone as Lendina, a bootlegging mastermind, Colin Hanks as corrupt Sheriff Abel, and Michael Ironside as Hutch’s boss and father-in-law, Eddie Williams. John Ortiz, Colin Salmon, Billy MacLellan, and Gage Munroe round out the cast.
Along with Kolstad and Odenkirk, Nobody 2’s screenplay was written by Umair Aleem (The Beekeeper 2). Despite a bigger cast, Nobody 2 has a reported 89-minute runtime, three minutes less than Nobody’s 92 minutes. Unlike the 116-minute Heads of State, Nobody 2 promises to be as fast, fun, and ferocious as the original when it opens theatrically on August 15, 2015.
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