Some films use action as an end in itself; others — rarer ones — transform it into a means of exploring internal dilemmas, fractured bonds, and barely healed wounds. That’s the case with this production which, beneath the surface of explosions and chases, hides an intimate reckoning with the past. The presence of Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg, here in full creative maturity, doesn’t merely serve nostalgic appeal — it leads, with unexpected depth, a story that alternates between physical intensity and emotional subtlety.
At the backbone of the story is Roxanne, a member of a clandestine organization who, instead of embarking alone on another high-risk mission, decides to involve Mike, her former romantic partner and now a key element in an operation that defies predictability. Wahlberg lends the character a raw vulnerability, sharpened by a blackout that throws him, without warning, into the streets of London. Before him lies a fork in the road: return to the safety of a dull existence or leap into the uncertain abyss alongside the woman who embodies everything unresolved.
Unlike what the genre typically delivers, the real engine of this narrative is not the looming threat to the world, but what hangs unresolved between the protagonists. Every exchanged glance, every shared silence, every hesitation reveals layers of a bond riddled with absences, interrupted decisions, and feelings that stubbornly linger. The film draws its strength precisely from this ambiguous terrain between longing and resentment, reunion and mistrust.
The direction chooses not to chase sheer speed, but to build tension methodically. The action sequences — present, yes, and well executed — are less about spectacle than they are essential to exposing the hidden layers of the characters. Berry, above all, embraces her character’s complexity with a restraint that transcends the written script, delivering a performance that reaffirms her place among the most versatile actresses of her generation. Wahlberg, in turn, exposes the cracks of aging masculinity — vulnerable, hesitant — and, because of that, compelling.
It’s not just the emotional past of the protagonists at stake, but also the question of what it means to grow older in a world that glorifies youth and force. Without becoming a manifesto, the film subtly suggests that the value of these characters doesn’t fade with time — on the contrary, their scars make their choices heavier, their dialogues more meaningful, their gestures more authentic. The story unfolds not as a tale of decay, but one of persistence.
Trieste, London, and Istria are not merely picturesque backdrops for action scenes, but symbolic spaces of transition and transformation. Each location seems to echo the emotional state of the characters, expanding the meaning of the risks they take, the decisions they face, and the truths they can no longer avoid. It’s within this multifaceted setting that the film finds its balance: never sacrificing the human element for spectacle.
By avoiding the easy route of reconciliations and manichean resolutions, the narrative resists shortcuts. There’s admirable boldness in sustaining the tension between what was and what could still be. What could have settled into a safe repetition of formulas dares to become something else — a story of overdue encounters, suspended promises, and choices that hurt precisely because they are real.
This is a cinematic experience that demands more from the viewer than simply waiting for the next explosion. It invites a kind of listening — to silences, to interrupted gestures, to words left unsaid. And it’s in that space of attentive listening that the film discovers its singularity: it dares to inhabit the complexity of emotional memory without haste or simplification.
In the end, what prevails isn’t triumph over villains or the salvation of the world. What prevails is the possibility — always risky, always uncertain — of beginning again. Not as if the past could be erased, but as if, precisely because it exists, something new might still be built. This film doesn’t clamor for glory or lean on grandeur. It whispers what many scream: that there is meaning, yes, in stories whose wounds remain open.
Film: The Union
Director: Julian Farino
Year: 2024
Genres: Action/Thriller/Comedy
Rating: 8/10