The performers of the new action-comedy The Union aren't exactly rejoicing at the film's meteoric leap to the top of Netflix's ratings.
Following its debut on Friday, August 16th, the picture quickly surpassed US Mashals (1998) and Kingsman: The Secret Service (2021) to become Netflix UK's most popular film.
Mark Wahlberg plays the role of Mike in The Union, a New Jersey construction worker who becomes entangled in the world of super spies when Halle Berry's character, Roxanne, his high school sweetheart, enlists his assistance on a crucial US intelligence assignment.
Few critics have praised the film's "fun" storyline and the "great chemistry" between Wahlberg (53), Berry (58), and the rest of the audience.
According to the majority of subscribers, The Union is kind of bland and cheesy. "The Union on Netflix deserves full marks for generating so much boredom and depression. Movies should make us feel something," X/Twitter user commented.
According to someone else, "Netflix still managed to disappoint with this The Union movie," even if their expectations were low.
Rotten Tomatoes, a website that compiles reviews from over 100 sources, gives the picture a 28 percent audience score, reflecting this negative opinion.
Wahlberg and Berry had not been in a picture with such a dismal crowd rating in more than a decade, so this pitiful score is a low point for both.
With 31%, Kings, which came out in 2017, is the second-worst. Berry had a terrible 2017. Kidnap ranked third-worst with 50%.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), and Sidney (2022) are her highest rated audience scores in the past ten years, with 86% and 85%, respectively.
Wahlberg, whose box office returns over the past decade have never dropped below 28%, too has a similarly unpleasant tale to tell.
On the other hand, the actor has a few low scores: 30% for 2015's Mojave, 32% for 2022's Me Time, 34% for 2021's Infinite, and 43% for 2017's Transformers sequel The Last Knight.
On the high end for Wahlberg, we have this year's Arthur the King (with 97%), Father Stu (with 95%), and Uncharted (with 90%).
There has been speculation of a sequel to The Union, despite its dismal audience rating, which has not prevented it from flying to No. 1 on UK Netflix.
Wahlberg, Berry, and director Julian Farino all stated in an interview with Variety that the creative team decided against having the protagonists kiss in order to build up the anticipation for a possible sequel. Speculation of a potential multi-film plan for the property was even hinted at by them.
