The Union

The Union is a A fun, fast-paced action comedy film directed by Julian Farino, with a script by Joe Barton and David Guggenheim, features Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry in leading roles. The movie also stars Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica De Gouw, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, and J.K. Simmons. It was released on August 16, 2024.

Summary[]

"A New Jersey construction worker goes from regular guy to aspiring spy when his long-lost high school sweetheart recruits him for an espionage mission."

—Official Netflix synopsis

Mike (Wahlberg) is happy 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.

Plot[]

Mike McKenna, a construction worker from New Jersey, finds his life turned upside down when his high school sweetheart, Roxanne Hall, reappears after 25 years. Now a secret agent for a covert organization known as "The Union," Roxanne forcibly recruits Mike into the fold.

After being tranquilized by Roxanne, Mike wakes up hours later in a luxury hotel in London. Confused, he learns from Roxanne how he ended up there. She introduces him to her boss, Tom Brennan, who briefs him on a high-stakes mission, arguing that his ordinary background makes him the perfect undercover operative. The Union is reeling from a failed operation in Trieste that cost several agents their lives. In urgent need of new blood, they turn to Mike, an unsuspecting "nobody," to carry out a crucial mission: retrieving sensitive government intelligence on law enforcement agents across various agencies.

The briefcase containing this classified information is set to be auctioned to the highest bidder. The mission sends Mike across Europe, navigating a web of international threats, including Iranian terrorists, North Korean operatives, and Russian spies. Mike undergoes an intense training regimen that typically takes six months but is compressed into less than two weeks. During this time, he assumes a new identity, endures psychological evaluations, and receives training in hand-to-hand combat and sharpshooting, all while trying to match the expertise of the highly skilled Roxanne.

The Union sends Mike with five million dollars to secure a spot at the intel auction. However, he is immediately ambushed by what they suspect is a rival bidder. The team narrowly manages to extract him, but the auction access device is destroyed beyond repair. With their funds depleted, The Union resorts to more ruthless tactics, targeting the Korean mercenaries in an attempt to obtain their access device. The Union successfully infiltrates the Koreans and secures their device. Unfortunately, their communications expert is discovered and killed in the process, leaving the team to witness in horror as their headquarters is attacked. Forced into hiding, they regroup the following evening for the auction. Tom bids using CIA funds, while Foreman focuses on tracing Quinn’s location, and Roxanne and Mike race to reach her.

Juliet Quinn is coerced by Rox and Mike into taking them to the briefcase. Before they can leave with it from her place, Nick Faraday shows up at the door, warning them of imminent danger. He persuades Rox to let him in, revealing that he is one of the six Union agents thought to have died in Trieste. Nick accuses Tom Brennan of being the mole, and it’s then that Mike realizes Nick was Rox’s husband.

Agreeing to meet a CIA liaison at a bridge the following day, Rox and Mike leave together with the briefcase. During the drive, Mike, upset that Rox hadn’t mentioned Nick before, confronts her, but she explains that they had been separated. Feeling disillusioned with his life, Mike announces he's done and exits the car. Later, after cooling off, Mike arrives at the bridge in the morning, where he and Rox reconcile. However, Nick calls Rox, revealing that he has framed both her and Brennan, intending to sell the intel to the Iranians. Nick admits he was fed up with never getting recognition or fair compensation from The Union. As the CIA moves in, Mike and Rox manage to escape.

Following Nick to Istria, Rox and Mike disrupt the deal with the Iranians, causing them to back out. Juliet and her men also withdraw. Mike suddenly shows up on a motorbike, and Rox tosses him the briefcase. After a pursuit through the town by the Iranians, Rox and Mike reunite, leading to a standoff between Mike and Nick. To protect Rox, Mike lowers his gun. During a subsequent car chase, Rox hesitates, thinking Mike might have died. Eventually, they catch up to Nick at the dock, where he chooses death over being taken to jail by Rox.

On Sunday, at the wedding, Rox makes an appearance. They acknowledge their feelings for each other. Just as they are about to slip away together, Brennan shows up and invites Mike to join them on an upcoming mission.