THE UNION TRAILER 1

Mark Wahlberg returns to his action movie roots in the 1st trailer for Netflix’s newest globetrotting adventure, The Union.

Mike (Mark Wahlberg) is a street-smart Jersey boy reconnecting with high school sweetheart Roxanne (Halle Berry). Things turn upside down when Roxanne reveals herself as a spy for the US government organization “The Union”.

The Union’s list of operatives has been leaked to a foreign enemy, so they need to recruit a non-agent to get them back. And despite his lack of training (his reflex SUCKS), Mike is the perfect candidate. Before he knows it, this average Joe finds himself whisked across the world on a high-stakes U.S intelligence mission. Can Mike save the lives of hundreds of Americans, and maybe even get the girl along the way?

Without sounding cynical, Netflix’s forays into tentpole cinema can be categorized as…. pleasantly predictable. These films have never aimed to reinvent the wheel, but cement Netflix as a power player in the world of blockbuster action. And the jam-packed first trailer for The Union leaves little to the imagination.

Divulging nearly the entire plot, it’s clear that the film’s backers are attempting to sell us on the experience of watching a sexy, high-budget flick with eye-popping action and star Wahlberg playing the machismo wish-fulfillment role he can do in his sleep.

And on that level, the trailer passes with flying colors. The chemistry between the lead actors crackles onscreen despite one-dimensional writing, the action is well shot, and the trailer’s humor is paced well and has a cartoonish (albeit generic) sensibility. While the story contains multiple logical leaps, it does so with a wink and a nod that almost says “Don’t think too hard, just relax and enjoy.”. And for the majority of today’s anxiety-ridden public, that’ll be more than enough.

Directed by Julian Farino, The Union will release on Netflix on August 16, 2024. The movie stars Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry and J.K Simmons.