By Romey Norton August 16, 2024
Ex-high school sweethearts reunite in the Netflix action-drama film The Union. Starring Hollywood legends Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg, this non-stop action thrusts the audience into a world of high-speed car chases and steamy romance.
Synopsis
Written by Joe Barton and David Guggenheim (Designated Survivor), the story follows Mike (Wahlberg), a down-to-earth construction worker propositioned by his old high school love, Roxanne (Berry). Recruited for a high-stakes US intelligence mission, his life will never be the same again.
Review
It’s action from the get-go, with a casual, shirtless Mike living an easy, care-free life, and Roxanne, on a high-stakes mission in a Catwoman-style uniform that goes very wrong. Her solution is to find her old friend, who has no training, to help on the next mission. This is a film which screams ‘just go with it’.
The Union is more comedic than I thought, Berry and Wahlberg, who are friends outside of filming, have a warm and comfortable chemistry on screen, making their characters easily likable. But they come across as two friendly exes rather than new love interests. Similar to Twisters, I was happy that the film didn’t revolve around a romance - not even getting a dramatic, romantic kiss at the end. Supporting actors include JK Simmons and Jackie Earle Haley, who steal their scenes.
The films purpose and the characters actions lack substance. The vaguely described mission is to steal back government intel, which is kept in a briefcase, to protect people. You might roll your eyes at some of the plot turns, as they’re predictable and cheesy, but still entertaining. For example, of course, Mike is fine with being drugged and whisked away to London for a mission by a woman he’s not seen in 25 years. This aids in keeping the mood of the film light and breezy.
The Union keeps an energetic pace throughout, filled with plenty of action sequences, decent, understandable dialogue, and flirting. The stunts are impressive, something other recent action-drama films from Netflix have lacked - glad to see where our subscription services are being spent.
Being set in London is a fun choice - I doubt anything this dramatic happens on the streets of the West End, but it’s nice to see some lovely locations. Some baddies being in football shirts and having thick cockney accents did make me laugh. There’s a scene where Mike is hiding in a theatre, mid-performance, and Roxanne is kicking ass outside as the kids singing is in the background. It’s wonderfully ridiculous but shows how the film doesn’t take itself too seriously, and we’re here to have fun.
I would have liked The Union to have gone hard with the comedy - it could have stood out and been memorable this way. I think Wahlberg’s performance would have been stronger if he had been allowed to play more. Or completely take the comedy out, and let this have been a franchise starter for stand-alone Berry.
Whilst the final section of the film is the funniest, it leads to a predictable end. The Union is a light-hearted action film offering its audience high-speed chases and a flirtatious romance. As it’s filled with predictable tropes and poorly explained story, I doubt it’s one you’ll remember, until Netflix gives it a sequel.
Star Rating
The Union is streaming now on Netflix
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