Summary

The Union
trailer features Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg in an action-packed spy mission.
The trailer may give away too much of the plot, risking the film’s excitement.
The film may break Wahlberg’s recent bad track record, but success is uncertain.

The trailer for The Union has been released. Starring Halle Berry and Bark Wahlberg, The Union is an upcoming Netflix film about an unsuspecting construction worker named Mike McKenna who gets roped into a life of super spies by his high school ex-girlfriend Roxanne. In addition to Wahlberg and Berry, The Union features a leading cast including Alice Lee, J.K. Simmons, Mike Colter, and Jessica De Gouw.

Related Halle Berry’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked Halle Berry has starred in dozens of films and television shows, becoming a pivotal character in the X-Men franchise and winning numerous awards.

Now, Netflix has released the trailer for The Union.

The trailer starts with exes Roxanne and Mike meeting up again in a bar in New Jersey. After a chemistry-filled night, Roxanne stabs Mike with a sedative, and Mike wakes up in London. From there, Roxanne explains that he will now be wrapped up in a spy mission, and the scene quickly proceeds into an international spy chase, replete with car chases and glass-smashing battles. The Union trailer also introduces Simmons’ character, who plays Roxanne’s boss who helps orchestrate the spy missions.

Will The Union Be Another Unsuccessful Mark Wahlberg Film?

The Union trailer falls into a conventional shortcoming of many trailers in that it reveals far too much of the movie in just a few minutes. The inciting incident of the film, when Roxanne ambushes Mike into coming with her to London, is revealed, as are many of the action sequences. Even key aspects of Mike’s character arc as he goes from a blue-collar man who has never left the Tri-State area to a man involved in spy missions are revealed. While The Union trailer is sufficiently exciting, whether the full film maintains those thrills is uncertain.

Though both Berry and Wahlberg are well-regarded actors, The Union comes after a bit of a career slump for Wahlberg. Except for Arthur the King, all of Wahlberg’s movies from 2020 onward have been rated “rotten” on the notable critics’ aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. The actor had one particularly dismal score, with Me Time’s single-digit 7% score among Rotten Tomatoes critics. While some of the films have fared better among audiences, most of these titles have received poor reviews from audiences.

Mark Wahlberg Movie RT Critics Score RT Audience Score Spenser Confidential (2020) 36% 51% SCOOB! (2020) 48% 53% Joe Bell (2020) 40% 73% Infinite (2021) 17% 34% Uncharted (2022) 40% 90% Father Stu (2022) 43% 95% Me Time (2022) 7% 32% The Family Plan (2023) 25% 63% Arthur the King (2024) 71% 97%

Thus, The Union has the chance to either break the actor’s bad track record or fall into the unfortunate pattern of Wahlberg’s career. From the looks of the trailer, this could go either way. On the one hand, the film has two good actors at the fore, which is more than can be said about some other recent Wahlberg titles which relied on him as the main draw. On the other hand, The Union could fall into some overdone tropes, leading to its demise.

Source: Netflix

The Union (2024) The Union is an upcoming film that explores the intersecting lives of multiple characters as they navigate complex relationships, personal struggles, and social issues.Director Julian Farino Release Date August 16, 2024 Studio(s) Leverage Entertainment , Municipal Pictures , Closest to the Hole Productions Writers David Guggenheim , Joe Barton Runtime 0 Minutes Expand