Title – Mayday (2026)

Directors – John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (Game Night)

Cast – Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Maria Bakalova, David Morse

Plot – Shot down over Russia during the late 80’s Cold War era, American pilot Troy Kelly (Reynolds) finds himself partnered up with ex-KGB agent turned American fanboy Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh) as the mismatched duo must work together to escape the clutches of Russian forces.  

“You just made me employee of the month”

Review by Eddie on 21/09/2026

Responsible for delivering some of the most amusing and memorable comedy affairs that have arrived in the last decade thanks to Game Night and the criminally underseen Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, directing duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have established themselves as elite players in this Hollywood space, meaning their products now come with a certain level of expectation.

Unable to reach the heights they did with their previous collaborations, the duos newest outing in partnership with Apple is the AppleTV exclusive Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh buddy action comedy Mayday, a throwback feeling film that we don’t get a lot of these days, making this disposable but entirely watchable exercise one to enjoy and never remember again.

Instilling their film with the same energy that was found in their past outings and continuing to showcase their skillset with impressive camera movements and staged set pieces, Mayday certainly has a lot of the same ingredients that helped make Game Night and DnD stand out but Mayday’s very nature limits its ability to shed the generic DNA of its narrative, even though Reynolds and Branagh make for a surprisingly effective paired up duo, despite the fact Reynolds is in desperate need to shedding his now one note Deadpool persona.

Following the exploits and misadventures of Reynolds proficient American navy pilot Troy Kelly after he is shot down in Russian territory in the tail end of the 80’s Cold War, only to find himself paired up with Branagh’s ex-KGB officer turned American aficionado Nikolai Ustinov, there’s not a lot of surprises to be found throughout Mayday even if the pace is constantly moving, there’s some top quality comedic gems, including a brilliant gag involving a wine closet and Branagh becomes the films MVP in his aged Russian Jason Bourne role.

Famed for Shakespearian adaptations and iterations and twirling his moustache as famous literary detectives, Branagh is having the time of his life here as the Top Gun loving Ustinov with his energy levels and off-kilter turn going a long way to make up for Reynolds worn out schtick and the films increasingly cookie-cutter plotting that ends up petering out with a rather toothless final stretch.

Not in the same league as Daley and Francis’s other team-ups, Mayday is still an above average streaming offering, delivering a basic old-school experience that’s perfect for a switch your brain off night in on the couch, showcasing that these simple buddy comedy ventures can still provide us with a nice viewing distraction.

Final Say –

Unlikely to be talked about or remembered in any great way, shape or form in the coming months/years, Mayday is a perfectly fun and forgettable exercise that brings good amount of energy to an otherwise formulaic ride.

3 bootleg VHS tapes out of 5