The Union is a 2024 Netflix spy-action comedy about a New Jersey construction worker recruited for an intelligence mission by his former high-school sweetheart, now a skilled agent. Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg lead a story that pairs espionage with a reunion romance; here are seven useful facts about the film, its cast, reception and availability.
1. The story starts with a high-school reunion—and a recruitment
Mike McKenna (Mark Wahlberg) is a construction worker in New Jersey when Roxanne Hall (Halle Berry), his former high-school sweetheart, reappears. She brings him into a dangerous U.S. intelligence mission in Europe. Netflix’s official logline frames the assignment as high stakes, while the contrast between Mike’s ordinary working life and Roxanne’s espionage experience supplies the premise’s central tension.
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![State of the Union [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ntUvV3awL._SL160_.jpg)
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State of the Union [Blu-ray] | $24.49 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXIV [Union Station / Jennifer / The Crooked Circle]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51BZmD1bi-L._SL160_.jpg)
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Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXIV [Union Station / Jennifer / The Crooked Circle] | $22.49 | Buy on Amazon |
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Xxx / Xxx: State of the Union - Set | $16.40 | Buy on Amazon |
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xXx: State of the Union (Blu-ray) | $16.48 | Buy on Amazon |
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![THE DEATH OF STALIN - MOVIE [Blu-ray] [2017] [Region A & B & C]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+P32G+FrL._SL160_.jpg)
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THE DEATH OF STALIN - MOVIE [Blu-ray] [2017] [Region A & B & C] | $18.46 | Buy on Amazon |
2. Roxanne is the experienced agent; Mike is the newcomer
Berry plays Roxanne, an established Union operative, while Wahlberg’s Mike is the inexperienced recruit. Their past relationship is part of the story’s engine rather than a detail separate from the mission. Director Julian Farino told Netflix Tudum, “Roxanne and Mike’s relationship is going to define the movie.” That makes the film’s appeal hinge on both the spy assignment and the renewed connection between its leads.
3. The Union is a fictional agency for working people
The organization in the film is a secretive government outfit that trains ordinary people for intelligence work. It is fictional, not a real agency. Berry described its place in the movie’s world to Netflix Tudum this way: “The Union does the dirty work for the CIA and FBI.”
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#1 Best Overall
4. Julian Farino directed, with Joe Barton and David Guggenheim writing
Farino directed the film, and Barton and Guggenheim wrote it. Netflix Tudum reported that Wahlberg asked his producing partner Stephen Levinson what it would be like to play a super-spy, a question that helped frame the project’s central fantasy: an everyday worker pulled into covert work. Rotten Tomatoes credits Levinson, Wahlberg and Jeff G. Waxman as producers.
5. The supporting cast includes familiar faces
The ensemble includes J.K. Simmons, Mike Colter, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica De Gouw, Alice Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, Stephen Campbell Moore and Lorraine Bracco. Netflix Tudum identifies Simmons as former CIA agent Tom Brennan, Colter as Roxanne’s partner Nick Faraday, and Bracco as Mike’s mother.
Rank #2
- Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXIV [Union Station / Jennifer / The Crooked Circle]
6. Rotten Tomatoes’ 2026 snapshot leaned negative
When accessed on September 28, 2026, Rotten Tomatoes showed a 36% Tomatometer from 77 critic reviews and a 24% Popcornmeter from 1,000+ audience ratings. These are changing scores on one review aggregator, not a measure of every viewer’s response or an objective verdict. Check the Rotten Tomatoes page for its current figures and reviews.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Netflix lists the film as a 2024 PG-13 title
Netflix’s title page classifies The Union as PG-13 and labels it comedy, action-adventure and spy. The listing says the film can be watched offline. It shows English original audio, with German, Spanish (Latin America), Filipino and French audio options, including audio description for some tracks; listed subtitle choices include English, Spanish (Latin America), French, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Netflix availability and playback options can vary by country and change over time, so check the Netflix title page in your region.
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Best Value
- The disk has English audio.
Rank #3
- In xXx, Xander Cage is a notorious underground thrill-seeker who, is convinced by the NSA to infiltrate a ruthless Russian crime ring, as a new breed of secret agent (code name: XXX). In xXx: State of the Union, Darius Stone is a thrill-seeking troublemaker who must save the U.S. government from a deadly conspiracy led by five-star general and Secretary of Defense.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
