Mayday Information
- Movie Name: Mayday
- Type: Feature Film (Action Adventure Comedy)
- Genre Tags: Action, Adventure, Comedy
- Status: Released
- Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
- Studio/Production: Apple Studios, Skydance Media, Maximum Effort
- Distributor: Apple TV+
- Release Date: September 4, 2026
- Language: English
- Subtitle: English
- Running Time: Around 1 hour 50 minutes
- Content Rating: PG-13
The film was first announced back in 2023, with Reynolds also producing through his Maximum Effort banner alongside Skydance Media.
Mayday Story & Plot
Set in 1987, at the tail end of the Cold War, the story follows Lieutenant Troy "Assassin" Kelly (Ryan Reynolds), a U.S. Navy pilot whose top-secret reconnaissance mission over Soviet territory goes badly wrong after a mid-air incident forces him to eject deep inside Russian territory. Stranded and evading capture, Troy's survival hinges on an unlikely alliance with Nikolai Ustinov (Kenneth Branagh), a gruff former KGB agent now living a quiet, secluded life in the woods, one defined by an unexpected obsession with American culture, Springsteen included.
As the two men work to get Troy home, their mismatched personalities and worldviews collide and gradually give way to genuine, if reluctant, camaraderie. Along the way, Nikolai's daughter Anna (Maria Bakalova) and a dangerous Soviet officer named Alexander Volkov (Marcin Dorociński) complicate their escape, while Troy's strained relationship with his own father back home (David Morse) adds a quieter emotional thread beneath the film's comedic set pieces.
Mayday Main Cast & Characters
Main Roles
Ryan Reynolds as Lieutenant Troy "Assassin" Kelly
A cocky U.S. Navy pilot stranded behind enemy lines after his mission falls apart.
Character Description: Reynolds leans into his familiar rapid-fire charm, playing an arrogant but ultimately competent pilot whose survival depends on learning to work with someone far outside his comfort zone.
Kenneth Branagh as Nikolai Ustinov
A former KGB agent turned reluctant ally, living a quiet life in the Russian wilderness.
Character Description: Branagh steals much of the film according to critics, playing Nikolai as cynical but principled, with a genuine, oddball fondness for American culture that fuels much of the film's comedy.
Maria Bakalova as Anna Ustinov
Nikolai's daughter, pulled into the unfolding chaos around Troy's survival.
Character Description: Anna adds another layer of personal stakes to Nikolai's involvement in helping a stranded American soldier.
Marcin Dorociński as Alexander Volkov
A dangerous Soviet officer standing between Troy and his escape.
Character Description: Volkov serves as the film's most direct antagonistic threat during the pair's journey home.
Supporting Roles
David Morse as Harold Kelly
Troy's father, dealing with his own serious health struggles back home.
Character Description: Though largely kept on the sidelines of the main action, Harold's storyline gives Troy's mission a quieter, more personal stake.
Wendy Crewson, Louis Cancelmi, and Clark Johnson
Additional confirmed members of the film's ensemble cast.
Character Description: Round out the supporting circle of military and Cold War-era characters surrounding the central duo.
Mayday Review: Cinematography, Music & Pacing
Directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, coming off Game Night and the most recent Dungeons & Dragons film, give each major set piece its own distinct visual identity, keeping the film from settling into repetition across its nearly two-hour runtime. The soundtrack leans hard into needle-drops from the era, Bruce Springsteen included, reinforcing the film's deliberate throwback energy. Critics have broadly agreed that the film is carried by its central pairing more than its plotting, with Branagh in particular singled out for finding more depth and comic timing in Nikolai than the script strictly requires, while some of the first act's more straightforward military-movie dialogue lands less successfully.
What I liked:
- Branagh and Reynolds' chemistry: Critics consistently point to their mismatched energy as the film's biggest strength.
- Distinct visual set pieces: The directors avoid letting the action sequences blur together.
- Genuine throwback tone: The film commits fully to its 1980s buddy-action inspirations rather than winking at them ironically.
What I didn't like:
- Formulaic plotting: Several reviews describe the film as predictable, with the broad shape of the story clear from the trailer alone.
- Underused supporting cast: David Morse's subplot as Troy's ailing father gets comparatively little screen time.
Spoiler Note
This review avoids detailing how Troy and Nikolai's escape from Soviet territory ultimately plays out, or the final state of Troy's relationship with his father.
Viewer Reviews and Ratings
★★★★☆ | "Branagh completely steals this movie, his comic timing is a genuine surprise."
★★★☆☆ | "Formulaic, sure, but it's a fun, well-shot throwback that knows exactly what it is."
★★★★☆ | "Reynolds and Branagh together is a weirder pairing than it sounds, and it works."
★★★☆☆ | "Good action, decent laughs, though the first act leans a little too hard into military-movie clichés."
★★★★☆ | "A genuinely entertaining Cold War buddy comedy, nothing groundbreaking but a good time."
.webp)