
The big streamers have all been flexing their muscles in recent months with huge stars fronting new movies and shows for them, and Netflix is certainly trying to lead the way on that side of things. It's all part of trying to be the best streaming service in 2024.
Its latest original movie, The Union, will arrive next month, on 16 August, and stars Halle Berry opposite Mark Wahlberg – with both standing as long-since proven Hollywood stars. It looks like a fun action-comedy romp in the first full trailer, which you can see below:
The movie sees Wahlberg as Mike, a well-meaning construction worker from Jersey who reconnects unexpectedly with his high school sweetheart, Roxanne (played by Berry). It doesn't take long for him to discover that she's a member of an international secret service and needs him as a nobody to take on a major operation.
That's a nice and goofy setup for a caper, and it looks like a lot will ride on whether Berry and Wahlberg can summon up some real chemistry between their characters – but the YouTube comments under the trailer are full of one recurring observation.
People are less than impressed by how much of the movie appears to be given away by the trailer – and it's definitely true that you can make a pretty straightforward jab at how things will unfold after watching it.
One person attracted more than 6,000 thumbs-up reactions when they commented: "Thanks for showing the entire movie. Your effort in editing the entire movie into 2:54 minutes is appreciated."
Their sarcasm doesn't go unnoticed here, and another viewer said: "Netflix editor needs a raise for giving this movie a free watch pass for all and shortening it below 3 minutes." Still, if you're on the lookout for a fun movie, you might still want to add The Union to your watchlist when it arrives next month.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
It confirms again that a big part of the race to be at the top right now seems to be down to churning out low-quality but high-enjoyment blockbusters. The likes of Atlas and Trigger Warning have already proved to Netflix that shockingly low Rotten Tomatoes scores needn't mean any sort of commercial disaster, after all.
Max is T3's Staff Writer for the Tech section – with years of experience reporting on tech and entertainment. He's also a gaming expert, both with the games themselves and in testing accessories and consoles, having previously flexed that expertise at Pocket-lint as a features editor.
-
Netflix hit show's S3 trailer has fans asking if another cancellation is coming
The Lincoln Lawyer is nearly back, but its fans are anxious
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Move over Attenborough, new Netflix doc has Barack Obama on narration duties
That's quite the big name to attach
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Netflix in October: the 5 best new shows and movies to add to your watchlist
Netflix is planning another big month – here are 5 movie and show highlights to add to your watchlist
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Audio-Technica upgrades its cartilage conduction headphones with a big audio boost
The Audio-Technica ATH-CC500BT2 'phones also offer 20 hours of battery life
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus review: the unsung hero?
Has Samsung added enough to make the Galaxy S25 Plus appeal?
By Chris Hall Published
-
Netflix's new thriller shows how scary some schools can be
We get a tiny glimpse of Wayward
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
It's nearly Valentine's Day – end your date night with these perfect streaming movies
Romantic movies are a dime a dozen – here are the very best
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Netflix's new comedy series looks like it has something for everyone
Running Point might be a crowd-pleaser
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Netflix picks up huge sci-fi series many thought was dead and buried
Could the resurrection result in an all-new season?
By Rik Henderson Published
-
HBO's new crime thriller looks terrifying and pointed
When No One Sees Us seems scary
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Netflix's new no. 1 makes I'm a Celebrity look like a kids' show
I binged Celebrity Bear Hunt in just a couple of days and absolutely loved it
By Rik Henderson Published
-
I was wrong about Apple TV+'s hit sci-fi series – but now I see the light
Severance has won me right back over, and it didn't take much
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Forget The Last of Us Season 2, Apple TV+ just gave us diarrhetic zombies
If the fictional trailer is banned, what's this?
By Max Freeman-Mills Published