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The Union: Netflix film sets regrettable critical milestone for Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry
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The Union: Netflix film sets regrettable critical milestone for Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry

The latest action comedy from Netflix The Union has risen to number 1 on the streaming giant – but there is not only good news for the stars of the film.

Since its release on Friday (August 16), the film has shot to the top spot on Netflix in the UK, overtaking the 1998 film. US-Mahals and 2021 Kingsman: The Secret Service.

The Union In “The 40 Fingers,” Mark Wahlberg plays Mike, a New Jersey construction worker who enters the world of super spies when his high school sweetheart Roxanne (played by Halle Berry) asks him for help on a risky U.S. intelligence mission.

Audience reviews of the film were overwhelmingly negative, with only a minority praising the “entertaining” plot and the “great chemistry” between 53-year-old Wahlberg and 58-year-old Berry.

Most subscribers have The Union “generic” and “cheesy”. “Films should make us feel something, so full marks for The Union on Netflix because it creates so much boredom and depression,” wrote one person on X/Twitter.

Another added: “I mean, my expectations were low, I had no expectations. But Netflix still managed to make this The Union Film.”

This sentiment is reflected in the film’s negative rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where it receives an audience rating of 28 percent based on more than 100 reviews.

The poor score represents a low point for Wahlberg and Berry, who haven’t starred in a film with such low ratings in over a decade.

Film review - The Union
Film review – The Union (© 2024 Netflix, Inc.)

According to Rotten Tomatoes, of the 10 films Berry has starred in since 2014, The Union has the lowest ratings according to viewing figures.

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The second lowest value is Kingswhich was published in 2017 and has 31 percent. 2017 was not a good year for Berry, with Kidnapand is at the third lowest level at 50 percent.

It owes its highest ratings in the last decade to X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014, followed by 2019 John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and 2022 Sydney with 86 percent and 85 percent respectively.

Film review - The Union
Film review – The Union (© 2024 Netflix, Inc.)

The story is similarly unfortunate for Wahlberg, as in the last ten years of his film career he has never fallen so far below the 28 percent ratings.

However, the actor has had his fair share of low ratings, with 2015 Mojave 30 percent, 2022 Time for me at 32 percent, 2021’s Infinite at 34 percent, and the Transformers sequel from 2017 The Last Knight at 43 percent.

At the top end for Wahlberg are King Arthurthat came out this year and has 97 percent, 2022s Father Stu with 95 percent and Uncharted with 90 percent.

Film review - The Union
Film review – The Union (© 2024 Netflix, Inc.)

However, the terrible ratings have not stopped The Union from its rapid rise to number 1 on Netflix in the UK – and there is already talk of a sequel.

In an interview with diversityWahlberg, Berry and director Julian Farino said the creative team decided not to have the characters kiss to build anticipation for a potential sequel, even hinting that Netflix may have proposed a multi-film plan for the franchise.

During the film’s press tour, Berry was asked about her critically acclaimed 2004 flop. Catwomanwith the actor issuing a brief NSFW defense against critics who said the film “sucked” at the time.

The Union is now available on Netflix.

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