7 must-see Mark Wahlberg movies to stream

Mark Wahlberg is the kind of down-to-earth guy you could imagine being open to some banter over a beer. His accessible, easy-going and unassuming charm has made him bankable and immensely popular with audiences, a team player who’s incredibly generous on screen, happy to share the limelight.

A BAFTA award and two Oscar nominations show just how versatile Wahlberg is, a headline act who combines the everyman dramatic appeal of Tom Hanks with the blockbustin’ charms of The Rock. While his movies haven’t always been well-received by critics, his career has been more concerned with making films for the fans.

Lone Survivor

IMDb: 7.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87%

Lone Survivor finds Mark Wahlberg playing Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, who’s deployed in Afghanistan on a mission to take down a powerful Taliban leader. When their surveillance operation is compromised, the Navy SEAL team are forced to brace for an influx of Taliban fighters into the area. Outnumbered, outgunned and on their own, they have to hunker down and defend themselves long enough for air support to arrive.

Based on a true story, this is another successful outing for the actor-director team Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg, who worked together on Patriot’s Day and Deepwater Horizon. A gritty, tense and violent war docudrama style recreation, Lone Survivor features a solid up-and-coming cast with superb sound design and gut-wrenching heroics.

Patriot’s Day

IMDb: 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 86%

Patriot’s Day stars Mark Wahlberg and chronicles the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent manhunt from the perspective of police Sergeant Tommy Saunders. An ensemble docudrama with similarities to Zero Dark Thirty, Patriot’s Day is an authentic, harrowing and comprehensive account from both sides of the law without resorting to one-dimensional characters.

A heartfelt and thrilling biographical action drama thriller, Patriot’s Day recreates the diabolical act of terrorism with realism and raw urgency but also serves as a moving tribute to the first responders, investigators and the beauty of humanity in Boston’s darkest hour. With Michelle Monaghan, Kevin Bacon, John Goodman and JK Simmons supporting, there’s no shortage of acting talent in this pulsating chronicle.

Father Stu

IMDb: 6.5/10

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95%

Based on a true story, Father Stu recounts the life and times of Father Stuart Long, played by Mark Wahlberg. An atheist and former boxer, the plucky young man set his sights on Hollywood before discovering his true calling to be a priest. An incredible journey from reckless behaviour to spiritual redemption, Father Stu is an entertaining and even touching biographical drama.

Wahlberg connects with the wild-at-heart character, leaning on the same fighting spirit and underdog clout that’s characterised his entire film career. A conversion in every sense of the word, Father Stu has fun taking its tenacious deadbeat with a heart of gold through the years as he does everything in his power to become a man of the cloth.

Uncharted

IMDb: 6.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 90%

Uncharted stars Mark Wahlberg as sharp-witted treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan, who takes a young thief under his wing in a bid to find the kid’s brother and recover Magellan’s lost fortune, playing opposite Tom Holland. A simple heist quickly graduates to an international action-adventure as the duo race to decipher clues and outwit their ruthless competitors to be first to uncover the treasure worth $5 billion.

Based on the video game of the same name, Uncharted has a similar intrepid, puzzle-solving energy to National Treasure. Compelled by Wahlberg and Holland’s cheeky on-screen chemistry, this entertaining movie captures the thrill of the hunt with spectacular action set pieces set against the constant threat of skullduggery among thieves.

Daddy’s Home

IMDb: 6.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 49%

Daddy’s Home pits Mark Wahlberg against Will Ferrell as a wife’s flamboyant first husband swoops in to win his family back from under the nose of a steady stepfather. Centred on Brad’s insecurities as a safe option, Dusty’s bad boy charisma sends Brad into a full-blown inferiority complex as he showcases his athletic prowess and home repair know-how.

Probably inspired by Modern Family’s ongoing spat between Javier Delgado and Jay Pritchett, this outrageous comedy latches onto the same luminous chemistry that Wahlberg and Ferrell unleashed in The Other Guys. Aiming for Modern Family’s witty comedy and heartwarming appeal, Daddy’s Home has a surprisingly sweet family-friendly vibration as Wahlberg and Ferrell lock horns in a game of one-upmanship.

Daddy’s Home 2

IMDb: 6.0/10

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 51%

Daddy’s Home 2 is yet another high stakes game for family approval, starring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell. Pitting a tough biological father against a kind-hearted stepfather, the sequel upscales everything by adding not only the fathers but their fathers too! Having moved past their petty joust, Brad and Dusty are now committed to a bromance until their chip-off-the-old-block dads start to butt heads.

Going for Adam Sandler mainstream appeal, Daddy’s Home 2 is lightweight and silly, happy to revel in the utterly ridiculous with over-the-top gags and heartwarming family drama during a Christmas getaway. Great casting finds Mel Gibson and John Lithgow in the mix, there to supersize paternal squabbles with a new set of daddy issues for a fun-filled yet chaotic refresh.

Mile 22

IMDb: 6.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 44%

Mark Wahlberg’s superpower is that he often just has to be, having delivered several strong films under the tried-and-tested team ‘Berg. Mile 22 stretches the actor-director duo’s range, giving Wahlberg a chance to break his charming family man type with a more complex role as socially awkward prodigy and no-nonsense special ops team leader James Silva.

Mile 22 follows a team of “ghost” mercenaries, commissioned to combat and thwart international terrorist factions. Mirroring Wahlberg’s character, the film’s quick-fire edit, zippy pacing and discordant tone serve as an extension of his personality. Leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, explosive and visceral action sequences power up as the political intrigue around a mysterious police officer ramps up the thrills.