Debapriya Bhattacharya
Actor, producer, and former rapper Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg first gained fame as the lead of the hip-hop band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch in the 1990s. Making his on-screen debut in the 1994 film ‘Renaissance Men,’ he bagged his first starring role two years later in ‘Fear.’ Mark’s early 2000s career was shaped by big-budget action films such as ‘The Perfect Storm,’ ‘Planet of the Apes,’ and ‘The Italian Job.’ While films such as ‘The Departed‘ and ‘The Fighter’ won him critical appreciation, movies like ‘The Other Guy,’ ‘Ted,’ and ‘Daddy’s Home’ proved his chops at comedy.
Mark’s commercial successes, which include films in the ‘Transformers’ franchise, made him the world’s highest-paid actor in 2017. He has also served as an executive producer in multiple television series across genres, such as ‘Entourage,’ ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ and ‘Ballers.’ Many of his works have made their way to the extensive catalog of the streaming giant Netflix. If you’re planning to go through Mark Wahlberg‘s films on Netflix, the following list is perfect for you.
6. Mojave (2015)
Wahlberg plays the role of a movie executive, Norman, in William Monahan’s crime thriller movie ‘Mojave.’ Most of the events in the movie take place in the Mojave Desert. The story follows a fed-up director, Tom, who drives to the desert to escape his regular life but ends up meeting a homicidal man named John “Jack” Jackson there. Tom finds out that the guy is dangerous and decides to protect himself in any way he can. Subsequent events land both men in Los Angeles, culminating in a climax that involves a game of Russian roulette, a metaphorical representation of the two men’s relationship since they met. The movie features Garrett Hedlund as Tom and Oscar Isaac as John “Jack” Jackson. Wahlberg has a small role in the movie. ‘Mojave’ can be streamed here.
5. Me Time (2022)
‘Me Time’ by John Hamburg centers around Sonny Fisher (Kevin Hart), a stay-at-home dad who is desperately avoiding the birthday party invitation of his childhood friend Huck Dembo (Mark Wahlberg). However, when his architect wife takes the children for a weekend trip and leaves home alone, a bored Sonny decides to attend the party. Welcomed by a naked Huck and his skinny-dipping friends, he quickly realizes it is going to be a wild ride. Huck takes his guests into the wilderness for the Huckchella — Huck’s own “Burning Man,” where Sonny faces off against a mountain lion and survives. Buoyed by his newfound confidence, he becomes the life of the party, which soon gets out of hand. Stream the film on Netflix.
4. Spenser Confidential (2020)
Peter Berg’s ‘Spenser Confidential’ stars Mark Wahlberg as Boston police Sergeant Spenser, who gets released after serving five years in prison for assaulting a fellow officer, whom he believed to have been involved in the murder of a family friend. Ignoring the warning from prisoners as well as corrupt cops to leave Boston, Spenser takes up residence with his old friend Henry Cimoli (Alan Arkin) and is introduced to his roommate, Hawk (Winston Duke). With their help, Spenser dives back into the Boston underworld, investigating the brutal deaths of two police officers. Watch the movie, adapted from ‘Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland’ by Ace Atkins, here.
3. The Union (2024)
Helmed by Julian Farino, ‘The Union’ follows Mike McKenna (Mark Wahlberg), a construction worker from New Jersey. His life changes forever when he meets his high school sweetheart, Roxanne Hall (Halle Berry), after 25 years. Working as a secret agent for a covert intelligence organization known as The Union, Roxanne tranquilizes Mike and takes him to London. There, her boss Tom Brennan (J. K. Simmons) tells him that a briefcase containing the identities of every American spy has fallen into the wrong hands, and the agency needs a “nobody” like Mike to retrieve it before it is auctioned off to the highest bidder. Mike gets recruited into The Union and undergoes two weeks of intense training before being thrown into the field with Roxanne. Watch the spy action comedy on Netflix.
2. Four Brothers (2005)
Directed by John Singleton, ‘Four Brothers’ follows four guys who set out to find the person responsible for the murder of the elderly woman who raised them. While at first, the death of the woman seems like the outcome of a robbery, it is soon revealed to be a planned execution. Bobby, Jack, Angel, and Jeremiah will not stop till they find the culprit, and in their endeavor, they aren’t afraid to knock on the door of the devil if they have to. Naturally, their actions soon get the attention of those who run the town’s underbelly, raising the stakes of the bloody affair. Wahlberg plays Bobby, Tyrese Gibson plays Angel, Garrett Hedlund plays Jack, and André 3000 plays Jeremiah. Gritty, dark, and violent, ‘Four Brothers’ is a compelling crime drama you can stream right here.
1. Lone Survivor (2013)
Based on the non-fiction book by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson, Peter Berg’s ‘Lone Survivor’ dramatizes Operation Red Wings, a mission by the US to track down the Taliban leader Ahmad Shah in Afghanistan in 2005. We follow a four-man SEAL team that is supposed to take Shah out, but their intel turns out to be wrong. What was supposed to be an easy mission becomes a fight for their lives in enemy territory. When push comes to shove, can they let go of their codes for survival? Mark Wahlberg plays the role of Luttrell, a Hospital Corpsman First Class, one of the team members. He is joined by Emile Hirsch, Alexander Ludwig, and Taylor Kitsch. ‘Lone Survivor’ is visceral in its depiction of the real events and what the guys underwent. You can watch it here.
You must be logged in to post a comment.