The Union follows the formula of an international spy thriller such as 6 Underground and Heart of Stone. The movie begins with a botched mission in Europe, setting the stage for an operation involving a covert group of agents known as the Union.
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Halle Berry stars as Roxanne, an operative for the Union, a secretive federal agency that prides itself on being a working-class alternative to the elitist CIA.
The Union finds itself in crisis after a mission to extract a CIA defector goes awry in Trieste leading to the deaths of several agents including Roxanne’s close partner, Nick Faraday.
The need arises to recruit a “nobody” to complete the mission, which leads to the introduction of Mark Wahlberg’s character, Mike, who happens to be Roxanne’s high school sweetheart.
Wahlberg plays Mike, a typical blue-collar guy from New Jersey living a small life with his mother and working in construction. His character is introduced as a down-to-earth person who suddenly finds himself thrown into a world of espionage.
Berry shines as Roxanne, her character’s history with Mike adds a personal dimension to the film, though the romantic tension between the two is more understated than expected.
The film highlights the Union’s identity as a group of little guys who take on the big-moneyed, powerful enemies that include caricatures of Iranian terrorists, North Korean operatives and Russian spies.
The Union’s mission remains vaguely defined. The plot revolves around recovering government intel stored in a briefcase, which is presented with little depth or clarity.
One of the film’s strengths lies in the easygoing chemistry between Wahlberg and Berry. Their characters’ shared history and playful banter provide a solid emotional core to the film.
Farino‘s direction manages to keep the action sequences lively and engaging, particularly a car chase through the streets of Croatia.
However the film’s overreliance on familiar tropes and predictable plot twists makes it feel like a checklist of spy movie clichés rather than a fresh take on the genre.
The film is shot in various European locations including London, but the use of these settings often feels superficial.
Scenes that should have been visually striking instead come off as uninspired with London sequences appearing as if they were filmed against green screens rather than on location.
On a positive note The Union does has some practical stunts, which are executed with a level of polish that elevates the film above some of its peers in the genre.
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The film’s narrative logic is one of its biggest flaws. Mike is thrust into the world of espionage with little explanation other than the need for a nobody who won’t attract attention.
As the film progresses it becomes predictable with each plot turn telegraphed well in advance. The lack of genuine surprises or twists robs the film of any real suspense.
The Union is hardly the first Netflix film to follow this formula and it suffers from being yet another entry in a long line of similar action-comedies.
The Union has received negative reviews from both critics and viewers. The film is criticized for being generic and cheesy with many expressing disappointment over its lack of originality and depth.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has gained a dismal 28% audience score based on over 100 reviews.
Social media platforms have been flooded with harsh critiques. Comments range from labeling the film as a bore-fest to expressing shock at how even low expectations were not met.
Halle Berry has starred in 10 films since 2014 and The Union now holds the unfortunate distinction of being her lowest-rated movie during this period.
Berry’s other poorly received films include Kidnap (2017) with 50% and Catwoman (2004), which despite being panned at the time.
Berry’s highest-rated films in the last decade include X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) with 86%, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) with 85% and Sidney (2022) with 85%.
The Union is his lowest audience rating in the past ten years. Prior to this his lowest-rated films included Mojave (2015) with 30%, Me Time (2022) with 32% and Infinite (2021) with 34%.
Wahlberg has also enjoyed success with films like Arthur the King (2024) with 97%, Father Stu (2022) with 95% and Uncharted (2022) with 90%.
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