Whether as a star or producer, Mark Wahlberg has found consistent success in adapting true stories. 2025 saw him back the Prime Video docuseries Cocaine Quarterback: Signal Caller for the Cartel, an account of Owen Hanson‘s journey from USC football star to imprisoned drug kingpin that earned solid reviews from critics. Before that, in 2024, Arthur the King paired the star with a stray dog as his adventuring companion in an adaptation of Mikael Lindnord‘s memoir. One of his most acclaimed films, The Fighter, similarly succeeded by placing him in the boxing gloves of Micky Ward in a feature inspired by the documentary High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in Lowell However, tapping real accounts has also resulted in real controversy for the Oscar nominee.
Directed by Michael Bay, 2013’s Pain & Gain paired Wahlberg with a DCEU alum, Dwayne Johnson, and a current member of the MCU, Anthony Mackie, to tell a story inspired by the crimes of the Sun Gym gang. The film is based on a series of Miami New Times articles from 1999 and follows Daniel Lugo (Wahlberg) and his accomplices on a quest to fulfill their American dream by extorting wealth from a prominent businessman, played by Tony Shalhoub. Bay and writers Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus leaned into the bizarre nature of the gang’s scheme and turned it into a crime comedy, earning praise from some for its boldness in flirting with bad taste for laughs, while also sparking criticism for its historical inaccuracies and how it offers a lighter portrayal of the criminals. Shalhoub’s character, who was based on the main victim of the Sun Gym gang’s plan, was also the focus of a defamation lawsuit.
For those interested in watching the film to make their own judgments, time is running out to catch it for free on Pluto TV, as it’s slated to leave the ad-supported platform at the end of the month. Overall, critics and audiences weren’t impressed, giving the film a 49% and a 47% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, but Pain & Gain did modestly well at the box office with an $86.2 million haul on a budget of just $26 million. Collider’s review at the time gave it a B+, with Matt Goldberg calling it “an oddly earnest personal statement about being guilty as charged for simply playing into a pre-existing entitlement. It is a loud, obvious, childish, turgid, and grandiose statement wrapped in an insane farce, but it’s somehow endearing nonetheless.”
Wahlberg Is Gearing Up for a Return to Apple TV
Wahlberg has most recently been enjoying plenty of streaming success thanks primarily to the sequel to his megahit action comedy, The Family Plan, on Apple TV. That may continue soon, as he already has another film lined up for the platform — Weekend Warriors. Based on the German sports dramedy Weekend Rebels, which was itself adapting Mirco and Jason von Juterczenka‘s autobiographical book, Wir Wochenendrebellen, it casts Wahlberg as a dad helping his autistic son pick his favorite NBA team by taking him to see all of them in person. It’ll mark the latest effort from writer-director Stephen Chbosky, who is fresh off helming another heartwarming biographical comedy-drama, the Vince Vaughn-starring Nonnas. Filming was underway late last year, but a date has yet to be set for its release.
Pain & Gain is now available to watch for free through the end of the month. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the biggest films coming to and leaving streaming throughout the year.
