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Mayday

Play trailer 2:36 Poster for Mayday PG-13 2026 1h 50m Action Adventure Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 104 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh team up in "Mayday," a genre-bending, action-packed buddy comedy that flips the spy thriller on its head. When hotshot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy "Assassin" Kelly (Reynolds) is sent on a top-secret mission into Russian territory at the height of the Cold War, the operation implodes, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines. Discovered by Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh), a gruff ex-KGB agent with a penchant for American culture, Troy thinks he's toast -- but could an unlikely alliance between the two lead to Troy's rescue and a bond neither saw coming?
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Mayday

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Critics Consensus

A spirited adventure that gets a lot of mileage from clever quips and Kenneth Branagh's extremely amusing performance, Mayday thaws Cold War tensions with good-natured aplomb.

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Critics Reviews

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Jared Richards The Age (Australia) Sep 9, 2026
3/5
Ryan Reynolds’ perma-Deadpool edge of slick sarcasm isn’t for me, but it’s put to great use in this Cold War buddy comedy from Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley (Dungeons and Dragons). Go to Full Review
Matt Goldberg TheWrap Sep 6, 2026
3/5
The new Daley & Goldstein isn’t the most narratively audacious movie, but it’s a strong reminder that even a streaming comedy can look as good as any blockbuster Go to Full Review
Todd Gilchrist Variety Sep 4, 2026
It’s a compliment to call "Mayday" a latter-day "Top Gun" riff, because it satisfyingly meets the needs of that film’s core audience — delivering a buddy comedy, a road movie and an international adventure, with surprising heart. Go to Full Review
Michael Cook KLRT-TV 3 days ago
This is a classic buddy movie, the difference is they're being chased by the KGB. The buddy aspect between Branagh & Reynolds holds up well, the action is well-paced, and there are a few quiet moments, but they serve the overall story. Go to Full Review
Jinal Bhatt Variety India 6 days ago
3.5/5
The match-step bromance between Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, in a film that's written to let them play to their strengths, and the "Top Gun" nods and 80s nostalgia ultimately make this a fun flight worth taking. Go to Full Review
Susan Granger SSG Syndicate Sep 18, 2026
8/10
What makes it great fun is the charismatic chemistry between sarcastic, wise-cracking Reynolds and gruff, deadpan Branagh. Their mismatched odd-couple bickering masks an unlikely friendship. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Chase M @reviewzz 6 hrs ago Great movie all around! Very fun with a little bit of history in the mix. I had a good time watching this. I can’t believe people are nitpicking this movie.. get over yourself lol See more Howard S @braundsmith 21 hrs ago Hmmm no tension no build up, tyhe jokes dont land very boring maybe they needed a straight guy to Ryan jokes but so much wasnt believable from the initial helping the other plane with the stuck flap, to the spy plane but he is the co-pilot?!! Needed some serious work, unfortunately; it took 3 attempts to get through this. Such a shame, as I had it flagged as my Friday night movie to watch; one ruined weekend See more Someone F @SomeoneFromJapan 23 hrs ago The film itself is fun and made in the best traditions of mid-80s comedies. In fact, it follows the very same style as Spies Like Us, with similar slapstick jokes, including the story's peak check-and-mate resolution. Every single scene exploits the dimwitted, impossible, and nonsensical elements of what's happening on screen-like hacking an escape route through concrete, or cancelling a three-hour route to safety for an eight-hour detour in the opposite direction just because we are low on gas. It slaps the viewer in every possible way for their lack of survival sense, technical knowledge, or basic geographic understanding. So look carefully when the cinema hall falls in laughter about 15 percent of the visitors with an adequate IQ make a facepalm through their tears. See more Donna K @donnajk26 1 day ago Fun watch and entertaining! Always enjoy Ryan Reynolds and his funny sarcasm. See more Yvette V @RT00484474 1 day ago Fun buddy film, Ryan Reynolds and Branagh freshen up the genre with earnest and caring performances. Even with generalizations about the Cold War, with the right actors who take their roles seriously, you come away rooting for both, even with caricatures of secondary characters. How Apple scored using songs from Springsteen must have cost half of the films budget. See more Cristina Z @RT17809019 1 day ago This movie was a great combination of action, comedy and great on screen chemistry. Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh were a fantastic play on grow on you type personality relationships. See more Read all reviews
Mayday

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Mayday

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Movie Info

Synopsis Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh team up in "Mayday," a genre-bending, action-packed buddy comedy that flips the spy thriller on its head. When hotshot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy "Assassin" Kelly (Reynolds) is sent on a top-secret mission into Russian territory at the height of the Cold War, the operation implodes, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines. Discovered by Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh), a gruff ex-KGB agent with a penchant for American culture, Troy thinks he's toast -- but could an unlikely alliance between the two lead to Troy's rescue and a bond neither saw coming?
Director
John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein
Producer
David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Ashley Fox, Johnny Pariseau, Jonathan M. Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Screenwriter
John Francis Daley, Jonathan M. Goldstein
Distributor
Apple TV
Production Co
Skydance Media, Apple Original Films, Maximum Effort
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Action, Adventure, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 4, 2026
Runtime
1h 50m
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