The current vogue for streaming-exclusive movies blending big stars with stunt-filled comedy action (see Red Notice, The Gray Man, Lift, Jackpot!...) continues with this Netflix original, which banks on Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg’s Hollywood glam and lively rapport. The Union is a formulaic spy caper - but in true action-hero style, the leads save the day.
Berry stars as Roxanne, an agent working for secret organization The Union who, after a failed mission, recruits her old high-school flame Mike (Wahlberg) to help retrieve a valuable list of secret agents being sold at auction. Mike then undergoes a - frankly laughable - two-week training program to fully transition from deadbeat construction worker to highly skilled government agent tasked with the vital sting operation.
The supposed USP of Julian Farino’s (Girl/Haji, Entourage) is the Union itself, a covert group comprising everyday blue-collar workers across America who are all adept at merging into the background. But it’s a concept that goes unexplored; and whenever the story does lean into it, the film ventures into absurd territory.
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Good job, then, that Berry and Wahlberg play off each other well, keeping things entertaining by switching between sparkling/sparring exchanges depending on the mood or life-threatening situation. Amid a name-heavy supporting cast (Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jackie Earle Haley), J.K. Simmons is a stand-out, bringing his usual dry bemusement to the role of Union boss Tom Brennan.
Meanwhile, some modest globetrotting and the odd thrilling set-piece provide welcome spectacle. It all threatens to be undone by a plodding middle act and a (very) predictable reveal, but the film just about succeeds in its mission.
The Union streams on Netflix from August 16.
For more, check out our guides to the best Netflix movies to stream right now.
