It's a summer of action, drama, romantic tension and...
well, that’s actually as far as it’s been getting lately. Netflix’s action comedy The Union just released amid the 2024 movie schedule . The Union trailer promised epic rom-com vibes from duo Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry , but viewers may have been disappointed find that all the romantic chemistry didn’t culminate in a passionate smooch.
And this isn’t the first instance of this happening recently, as Twisters also spurred complaints by leaving out a smooch. So why exactly are these movies giving similar vibes by leaving out kissing scenes? Honestly, it's somewhat strange that the creative teams behind two massive recently released movies opted to leave out tried and true kissing scenes. When it comes to The Union , director Julian Farino addressed that matter while speaking with Variety .
Farino's decision seemed to be based more on one major element -- potential: We take the relationship to a certain place, and then I think you’ve got to leave a lot of space to go. Netflix always said to us at the beginning, ‘You have to think of this as a possible three-movie idea.’ So if an audience comes out wanting a kiss, then we’ve probably done alright, in my opinion.
In many cases, production companies are playing the long game when it comes to their IPs. Netflix certainly has been trying to push its movies into franchises has found some success. And, yes, people do anticipate a kiss in a movie like Julian Fa.