*Netflix’s new action-comedy “The Union” has quickly climbed to No. 1 in the UK, but the success hasn’t shielded it from harsh reviews.
The film, starring Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry, has been criticized for being “generic” and “cheesy,” with many viewers expressing disappointment, The Independent reports.
Despite some praise for the chemistry between the lead actors, “The Union” has garnered a low 28% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. This marks a career low for both Wahlberg and Berry, who haven’t seen such poor ratings in over a decade.
“The Union” stars Wahlberg as Mike, a happy man living a simple life as a construction worker in his native New Jersey –– until his long-lost high school sweetheart, Roxanne (Berry), shows up with more on her mind than romance. Knowing he’s the right man for the job, she recruits Mike on a dangerous intelligence mission in Europe that thrusts them back together into a world of spies and high-speed car chases, with sparks flying along the way.
Per Netflix, Wahlberg drew from an unlikely source while building his character. “Mike has this unique skill set in that he doesn’t really have any fear,” he said. “He’s a steelworker, and you think of that iconic image of guys sitting on a beam 50 stories in the air, eating a sandwich like they’re sitting on a curb.” Of course, Wahlberg wasn’t quite as casual about his stunts: “To go up there, even though you’ve got a wire on, it’s still pretty scary.”
Directed by Julian Farino from a script by Joe Barton and David Guggenheim, “The Union” also stars Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica De Gouw, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, and J.K. Simmons.
In an interview with Variety, Wahlberg, Berry, and Farino revealed that Netflix proposed a multi-film plan for the franchise.
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