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Movie Name: Mayday
Directed by: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński, David Morse
Genre: Action, Comedy, Adventure
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Release Date: September 04, 2026
Rating:
Languages: English
Production House: Searchlight Pictures
Budget: $- million
Lieutenant Troy Brennan’s reconnaissance mission over Soviet territory goes awry, forcing him to crash-land and survive in Russian wilderness while evading capture or rescue.
Mayday: Movie Overview
Mayday is an upcoming American action comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, and produced by Apple Original Films, Skydance Media, and Maximum Effort. It stars Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Marcin Dorociński, Maria Bakalova and David Morse.
While flying a mission over Soviet Russia, an American Air Force Pilot is forced to crash-land his plane in the Russian wilderness as he meets and befriends a Russian carpenter who has agreed to help him escape enemy territory in hopes to survive.
Mayday is scheduled to be released on Apple TV on September 4, 2026.
Movie Trailer:
#OfficialTrailer
Movie Review:
Kenneth Branagh and Ryan Reynolds’ bromance, humour and stunts make this action-comedy a fun watch
Story:
During the Cold War, a US Navy pilot finds himself in a spot when he has to flee from Russia, with help of an ex KGB agent.
Review:
Nikolai Ustinov (Kenneth Branagh), the one who has rescued him and tied him to the bed to keep him ‘safe’, is an avid fan of Top Gun and tells Troy that he has watched the pirated copy of the movie several times. However, he suggests to Troy that he should stay there till the Cold War is over since the dangers of leaving the log hut outweigh the pros. Of course, Troy escapes but not before he is privy to some slick martial art moves by Nikolai.
While on the run, Troy finds himself amidst some hostile Russians in a bar and is rescued by Nikolai once again. With the Russian military also on the lookout for the ‘American pilot who ejected from the plane’ Nikolai suggests to Troy that they don’t stay at the log hut anymore. With no choice but to trust him, Troy teams up with Nikolai to try and reach the US Embassy.
Directed and written by John Francis Daley and Johnathan Goldstein, Mayday is a hark back to the Hollywood action-comedies of the 80s. The film is carried entirely by Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh and their perfect chemistry. While Renolds channels a smart, cock-sure US pilot with a moral high ground, Branagh’s Nikolai is eccentric, messy and with some moral dilemmas to crack. Their diametrically opposite characteristics make them a fun duo to watch together on-screen as it forms the crux of this buddy movie, along with all the references to Maverick and Goose.
There’s plenty of straight-faced humour, witty one-liners, laugh out loud comic scenes to keep it all very entertaining. And of course there are a lot of well-choreographed, slick action set pieces – combats, chase sequences – one truly outrageous one with a nuclear missile vehicle, explosive stunts, fighter planes zig zagging across the sky, a climax with a thrilling mid-air fight scene. Kenneth Branagh is simply marvelous, he brings Nikolai to life as a likeable, vulnerable character with all his complexities thrown in and his comic timing is impeccable. Ryan Reynolds is classic Renolds all the way, with Troy’s punchy dialogues and his sincerity giving his character a good mix. Marcin Dorocinski as the Russian agent is decidedly wicked.
At close to two hours, the film makes for a succinct, entertaining watch with all the bromance, humour and stunts. It doesn’t dive deep or scratch the surface, but the film is self-aware and unpretentious and that’s what makes it work. And they do hint at a sequel at the end too.
