Summary

Despite lackluster reviews,
The Union,
starring Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg, became a Netflix hit.
The film’s stacked cast and sleek visuals couldn’t save a script deemed generic by critics.
Netflix’s Top 10 films can lack critical acclaim, but the mindless fun of
The Union
attracts viewers.

Hollywood heavy hitters Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry have been constant presences in Tinseltown for over 30 years, with the talented duo starring in an array of colorful and acclaimed films over the course of their illustrious respective careers. Berry is an Academy Award-winning actress who has proven that there is no genre or character she can’t truly make her own, masterfully appearing in hits like Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Monster’s Ball, X-Men, and Die Another Day.

Likewise, Wahlberg managed to shed his music persona and became one of the cinema’s most sought-after leading men, showcasing his skills as an actor in popular films including Boogie Nights, The Italian Job, The Departed, and Ted. With such stacked resumes, it’s easy to think that the gifted duo would make some serious movie magic when they teamed up for the Netflix action comedy The Union, though this wasn’t exactly the case.

The entertaining flick debuted on the streaming giant on August 16, 2024, garnering less-than-glowing reviews from critics despite skyrocketing its way to the top of the Top 10 chart. Let’s take a closer look at the lackluster spy comedy and see just why it failed to resonate with viewers.

Who Stars in The Union & What Is It About?

Hollywood superstars Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry teamed up to headline the spy action comedy The Union, which features the Academy Award-winner as savvy secret agent Roxanne Hall, who heads back to her hometown in New Jersey to track down her high school sweetheart Mike McKenna after 20 years away, hoping to enlist the compassionate construction worker to assist her on a crucial mission. Mike finds his easy-going, laid-back routine and life completely turned upside down with the arrival of his former flame, as he is whisked away on a globe-trotting adventure full of espionage, romance, and thrills.

The Netflix original includes the additional talents of familiar faces like J.K. Simmons, Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Lorraine Bracco, and follows Roxanne and Mike as they embark upon a critical mission to retrieve top-secret government intelligence, facing deadly forces and formidable foes along the way. Naturally, sparks fly between the ordinary man Mike and super spy Roxanne, and together, the duo learn things about not only one another but themselves as they navigate the thrilling high-stakes operation.

The Union Is a Streaming Hit, but Critical Dud

Despite touting such a decorated and colorful cast of some of the entertainment industry’s finest performers, The Union failed to garner a positive response from critics and attracted overall lackluster reviews, with many feeling as though the talents of Berry and Wahlberg were woefully wasted on a lackluster script and run-of-the-mill storyline and that the pair deserved much better for their first joint project.

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Though the sleek visuals and impressive action sequences earned some praise, as well as the sensational chemistry between the lead stars, it wasn’t enough to make up for the choppy pacing and generic formula of the action flick. Not even acting chameleon Berry could save the uninspired action extravaganza. The Union received a 36% critic score and, even worse, a 25% audience score, and viewers couldn’t help but feel the plot has already been recycled countless times in Hollywood.

Empire Magazine wrote in their less-than-glowing review, “Deeply forgettable and disposable, this is the kind of action-comedy you will feel like you have seen before. But Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg are good fun, at least.” Even though it was nice to see Wahlberg go against the grain and play the everyday man to Berry’s brilliant secret agent, The Union definitely felt stale and should have done more with its stacked ensemble cast.

Regardless of the poor reaction from critics, The Union skyrocketed to the number one spot on Netflix’s Top 10 films list and has already amassed 60.1 million hours viewed since its premiere on August 16, 2024, beating out fellow flicks like Ambulance, Night School, and Inside the Mind of a Dog. The action comedy is currently the top movie in a whopping 93 countries on the streaming juggernaut, holding off its tough competition to remain in the highly-coveted slot and proving that an unfavorable critical reception means nothing on the fan-favorite platform.

Lackluster Reviews Can’t Hold Underwhelming Films Down

Just because a new (and oftentimes old) film finds itself gracing Netflix’s Top 10 films list doesn’t mean it’s some critically acclaimed masterpiece. In fact, countless movies have found their way to the top spot that, on paper, have no business being the number one anything. Before the Wahlberg and Berry joint venture debuted above the rest, the universally panned animated comedy The Emoji Movie dominated the list despite its measly 6% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Kevin Hart’s Night School also managed to make its way within the top three, even though it nabbed only a 26% rating on the popular website and failed to utilize its gifted comedic leads, Hart and Tiffany Haddish. Similarly, the Netflix sci-fi spectacle Atlas (starring Jennifer Lopez) and Jerry Seinfeld’s comedy Unfrosted both proved to be streaming knockouts despite polarizing audiences and critics upon their respective debuts. Netflix may be one of the world’s most successful and massively popular entertainment services, but that’s not to say that they don’t misfire from time to time and create some rather questionable original films.

There’s no denying that both Wahlberg and Berry can do so much better than The Union, as Berry has literally done it all when it comes to Hollywood productions: she’s played Bond girl Jinx in Die Another Day, starred as the fierce superhero Storm in the X-Men franchise, and won an Academy Award for her unforgettable performance in the romantic drama Monster’s Ball. Wahlberg also established himself as a certified leading man following a career in music, effortlessly transitioning to the silver screen and showcasing his range in lauded hits like Boogie Nights, The Departed, The Fighter, and Ted.

The Union is a mindless popcorn flick that is perfect to turn on and kick back with. As long as viewers can go in with low expectations and appreciate the fun action sequences, beautiful scenery, and playful chemistry between Berry and Wahlberg, they can’t go wrong. The movie is certainly not going to win any awards (although a Razzie may not be out of the question), but devoted fans of the pair and lovers of the action-comedy genre will find the 107 minutes enjoyable enough to pass the time and escape from the stresses of life. Stream The Union on Netflix.