Rating 6/10
There was a time when Mayday would have been a major theatrical release. It has two stars, elaborate action sequences, exotic locations, and an odd-couple premise that fueled countless Hollywood comedies. Behind the camera are Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the duo who co-wrote Horrible Bosses and directed Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Nevertheless, this Ryan Reynolds–Kenneth Branagh action comedy went straight to Apple TV+. Developed under Skydance’s deal with Apple, Mayday arrives after expensive theatrical ventures like Killers of the Flower Moon, Napoleon, and Argylle disappointed at the box office. It looks and plays like a comedy made for the masses. Instead, you can watch it on your couch.
Set in 1987, the story follows Navy Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Reynolds), whose covert mission leaves him stranded in the Soviet Union. With the KGB searching for him, he finds an unlikely ally in Nikolai “Nick” Ustinov (Branagh), a former KGB officer who loves American culture and dreams of starting a new life in the United States. Troy agrees to help Nick seek asylum if Nick can get him safely out of Russia. Their bargain sends them to Moscow, where they stumble into one silly predicament after another. The premise is preposterous, but that’s really the point.
Getting to the actual fun part takes a bit of time. Mayday is a basic buddy movie, but the setup is so needlessly complicated. It opens with Troy already in enemy territory, then jumps backward to explain how he got there. An elaborate sequence involving his reckless but impressive rescue of a fellow Navy aviator ultimately leads to his reconnaissance assignment over Russia. There’s a lot of narrative shenanigans to bring these two men together.
Once Reynolds meets Branagh, the Cold War caper clicks into place. Their chemistry is the best thing about Mayday. Troy initially seems like the kind of hotshot American flyer Nick idolizes in classics like Top Gun, while Nick is very different from the Soviet operative Troy expects. Goldstein and Daley have cited Midnight Run as an inspiration, and you can feel the lineage of those old-fashioned comedies in which mismatched men gradually become friends while trying to stay alive.
A surprise inspection of Nick’s cabin delivers the best scene. With Troy hiding and Soviet security officer Alexander Volkov (Marcin Dorociński) snooping around, Nick has more than an American to conceal. His entire home is a shrine to the U.S., including the Stars and Stripes, a Top Gun poster, and assorted memorabilia. The threat of discovery gives the comedy a lively spark.
Nick’s affection for America sets up some predictable lessons. He has built a vision of paradise from movies, music, and McDonald’s. And you suspect at some point we’ll get a scene of people enjoying Big Macs while the adventure takes a commercial break. Troy, meanwhile, has spent his career viewing the Soviets as the enemy. A visit to Nick’s estranged daughter, Anna (Maria Bakalova), supplies some accessible emotional weight. Troy discovers that ordinary Russians can be kind. Imagine that! The KGB itself, however, remains very much the villain. As a Hollywood adventure revisiting the Cold War in 2026, it follows a predictable path. The plot moves along pleasantly, but it’s not particularly innovative.
Mayday is most entertaining when it allows the two leads to carry the picture. Their chemistry makes this an agreeable throwback, despite the cumbersome setup and familiar lessons. Reynolds and Branagh provide the lift while the screenplay coasts.