Directed by Chris Rock

Head of State is not a good movie. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to watch.

For the first 20 minutes, you want so badly to take this thing seriously (to no avail), but by the time it’s completely off it’s rocker you’re having some laughs and don’t mind. Chris Rock wrote, directed, and starred as Mays Gilliam, a small-time politician who, for a string of unbelievable reasons, is suddenly called up to the big race: President of the United States.

More than 15 years after Bernie Mac‘s passing, it’s as exciting as it ever is to see him appear on screen as Rock’s brother. His presence is undeniable, no matter the setup. Also, it’s simply iconic that he has equal booking on the movie cover despite maybe 20 total minutes of screen time.

The plot

A recycled Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, this plot is shoved forward by outlandish sequences and the same old stereotype-laden one-liners. Many critics called the dialogue formulaic. No disagreement here — but again, that doesn’t mean it isn’t entertaining. What else were you expecting from Rock?

To distill Head of State into one sentence: The big, bad wolves of Washington are slowly won over by the honest man just trying to do right by the people. It’s a classic structure for a reason.

Fun fact: A portion of this movie’s presidential debate scene is a word-for-word repeat of Monty Python’s Argument Clinic.

Final thoughts

Chris Rock woke up one morning and thought to himself, “What if a guy like me was President?” then made a movie about it. It’s pretty clear from the jokes, directing, and politics that he didn’t think much more deeply. And that’s fine. Side note: In 2024, it did make me cringe to hear the line “Even Puff Daddy wears a suit to court.” #whoops

This movie is bad. But that doesn’t mean it’s hard to watch.

My rating: 2/5