What happens when your high-school girlfriend suddenly appears in front of you and kidnaps you after spending a romantic few moments together? That’s what we find out in Netflix’s new spy action comedy-thriller film The Union in which Mike, a down-to-earth construction worker is kidnapped and forced to take part in a high-stakes US intelligence mission with his former girlfriend and current spy Roxanne. Will he be able to rise to the occasion and fulfil his part in this important mission?
Written by Joe Barton and David Guggenheim, the film has a runtime of around 109 minutes.
The Union Movie Cast
Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, J. K. Simmons
The Union 2024 Director
Julian Farino
The Union Release Date
August 16, 2024
The Union Review
This Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg Netflix movie is everything that you’d expect from a Netflix spy thriller with big names – many booms, some flirting and a ton of cliched moments that are somehow entertaining despite being stale. I found this Netflix film to be quite entertaining because of the back-and-forth between the different characters and the fact that the movie doesn’t let you take one breath before launching into some other mystery full of backstabbing and problems.
The action-thriller film starts with us suspending a bit of our disbelief, that Roxanne, a hot-shot secret service agent, goes to her high school boyfriend to make him the next big thing in the world of espionage. We don’t know why, other than the “trust me bro” card. I guess that’s an expected theme of these movies, it’s convenient and quick and lets you move on to the buildings burning and Berry engaging in hand-to-hand combat with dangerous people.
However, the question still lingers in the back of your mind – why him? I am sure there are more capable people out there who can better engage in these activities. I then moved on to wondering why Roxanne needs to save Mike from his small-town life, a conversation that comes up later on when they invariably have a falling out. Why do movies always assume that people who live quiet, uncomplicated lives are secretly bored and just itching to become a spy? It’s so odd.
Also Read: Mission Cross Review: Hwang Jung-min and Yum Jung-ah Deliver Action-Packed Entertainment
Either way, as I mentioned before, the film never takes a breather to make you ponder about whether or not things make sense and it doesn’t matter. The film is high-octane and keeps it that way for the majority of its runtime. It combines action and romance well and there are hints of humour here and there that are also quite funny and blend into the situations that we get to see. I thoroughly enjoyed the gajillion chase sequences in the film – they were done well and looked thoroughly realistic. Both Berry and Wahlberg were great at hand-to-hand combat and that looked realistic as well. Berry, especially, looks so great in these roles that you can’t look away from her. She is effortless.
The twists are fun as well. Things jump from one twist to another and people constantly backstab each other. There are (of course) big secrets at stake. I will say that this selling of information that can bring all the government agencies to their knees is such a tried and tested thing that you can’t help but roll your eyes the moment these words are uttered. But the film makes you forget that aspect with the other things, so you can just ignore that the central theme is the most stale thing that you have watched this year. It also helps that Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry are fantastic together and have natural chemistry. The banter in the film is fun and engaging and keeps things moving at a good pace.
Final Thoughts
In spite of having the most boring and overdone theme in action films, this film is entertaining and fun till the end of its runtime. Thanks mostly to the natural chemistry between its two leads, some fun action sequences and the beautiful locations that we have come to expect from Netflix films, this one will be a fun watch for lovers of forgettable action and adventure.
Also Read: Bad Monkey Review: Hilarious Series is a Bit Meandering
The start sucks, hiw are they shooting 5-6 armed guy just like that, they are surrendett buy tall buildings everywhere,
Then the loong romantic between the two agents, then is looong conversations, gets in bed have sex (im jealously),
More kiddnapping scene, we didn’t need that, then we talk and trying to be friendly,
Im like 20 minutes out im going for give this up and fuck something/somebody up to make up the time so far,
I like that the old actor’s shows up now and then, but hoolywood needs new blood maybe younger people who can do athletics/hard scenes fight scenes, running and crashing trought windows and so on,
For now my score: 3.0 of 5, its ok to have help by other agents but not a whole base with 50 people, its feels too safe, anyone remember mission impossible the first one, ethan hunt had to do thing by him self to survive, mostly alone.
Yeah okies, but after the weird start, like all dies just like that, thats a nope,
Its looong betwen something happening, loong talking scenes, the love between those two agents ????????????????????????????????????????
Im not so nice, my score: 1.0 of 5 so far,
Im at 26:6 out in the movie,
Who’s the asian slapping girl??
Name?
I want her too slape the shit out of me every morning,
A big piece of the movie is about training that guy, and HE SUCKS BAD, showing no potential at all or the reason they chosed him,
What a waste and that training is boring, you need to get more dangerous stuff,
Like a japanes life and death training, he mabe be the one and bullshit,
Like me one time i been locked up in a fence with big crazy cows, that scared me so much that i TOOK MORE SHIT THAN THE COWS,
Now step up the movie a bit need to go faster,
Im out (for now).
37:40 thats was sad depressing fight, and that was a doll that get slammed against the floor, that fucking VOUGE LADY should have her head curbstomped.
FINE I DO MYSELF THEN…..*stomp stomp* 10x times.
I was thinking, the fight where he dropp the phone in the sink, arent like all phones like waterproof??,
This was some bullshit, and the guys who tried to kill him, was they not after the phone?? But they looks like they was giving a shit about it, dident even try saving it,
This is headscratching stuff, im at 59:03 in the movie, why they doing that, who’s the new lady, and that guy is alive??????
THE ENDING SUUUUUCKS, WIL THAT GUY STOP SMILING, HE’S SMILED TROUGHT THE WHOLE CAR SCENES LIKE TWELVE TIME,
and one last time before he on purposely drwaving the gun, could he atleast run over by the boat in the bacground,
OTHERWISE DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ON THIS ONE, RUN AWAY,
AND FUCK WHOEVER MADE THIS SCRIPT….