PG-13 | 1h 50m | Action, Comedy, Action, Thriller | 2026
Peaking in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the mismatched buddy action comedy has seen many variations. At this point I thought there would be nothing left to explore. I was wrong.
Putting together the unlikely pair of Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, “Mayday” comes with most of the genre’s usual tropes: bickering, fighting, gunfire, and chase scenes. But it also strays from the more predictable and often stale flourishes. It takes many chances and pays off big with all of them.
It’s not that Troy fancies himself as a Pete “Maverick” Mitchell heir. That would be the self-admitted obsessed fan of all things American, Nikolai “Nick” Ustinov (Branagh).
Saved by the Enemy?
Nick is a Russian national and, as it is soon revealed, a former KGB agent. When Troy parachutes into Nick’s backyard after a failed black ops mission, the latter saves the former and nurses him back to health.
As a soldier schooled on the evils of the Soviet Union, Troy finds this suspect. This is only compounded when Nick offers to help Troy make it safely to the Finnish border.
Even with Nick’s easygoing demeanor and unthreatening air, Troy will have none of it. He escapes only to quickly regret it. Now resigned that Nick is his only option, Troy drops his guard somewhat and allows Nick to do what he does best in his own backyard.
Inspirations
At this point, the movie turns into a road flick with plenty of “Midnight Run” (1988) vibes. The writing and directing team of Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, are clearly enamored with all things ’80s. They also tip their hats to the first “48 HRS” and “Lethal Weapon” installments, in tandem with a little John la Carre and Tom Clancy.
Part of the reason Nick fully commits to helping Troy might have something to do with Troy’s belief that he will be regarded as a national hero upon his return home. He believes that he will also easily be able to get Nick a free pass to the United States, something that grows more unlikely with each passing minute.
Any movie of these types, both action and espionage, are only as good as the villain, and Marcin Dorocinski as Kremlin operative Alexander Volkov more than fits the bill. With his eastern European calm and steely resolve, Dorocinski never goes too broad (like most Bond villains) but remains constantly imposing. A scene where he discovers a clue of Troy’s identity while climbing a pine tree in the dead of winter indicates he, like Nick, is former KGB.
The movie makes a brief, but welcomed pit stop in Moscow. The men visit Nick’s estranged daughter Anna (Maria Bakalova). Part of Troy and Nick’s deal is that Anna is also included and her reaction to this news is a big surprise.
Nick and Anna’s history is rocky; no mother or wife is ever mentioned. Anna’s few quiet moments shared with Troy are among the movie’s many emotional highlights.
And That Is the Rub
While “Mayday” is rooted in crackerjack action and lightning-quick verbal quips, it is the regular asides to morsels of everyday wisdom and universal truths that make it a keeper. The movie is sneakily deep.
Fans of the work of Reynolds in the “Deadpool” franchise (the first installment in particular) will appreciate his deadpan quips for the duration. This takes the edge off of Troy’s barely-cloaked arrogance elsewhere and keeps the movie from getting too serious.
This isn’t to say that Branagh doesn’t keep up his end of the workload. Truth be told, this is a rare instance where Branagh flexes his comedic chops by being the second straight man, which almost never works.
The filmmakers get extra points for not requiring the supporting Russian characters to speak English. This is the storytelling crutch that instantly crushes the suspension of disbelief.
In related news, Branagh delivers around 20 percent of his dialogue in Russian with effortless conviction and a pitch-perfect accent.
After a handful of recent less than well-received duds (“IF,” “Bedtime Stories With Ryan,” “Ghosted,” “Spirited”), Ryan is back with one of the most appealing performances of his career.
The story ends with sufficient closure while keeping the door open for a possible sequel, which I hope against hope never happens.
The movie starts streaming Sept. 4 on Apple TV+.
‘Mayday’
Directors: Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Marcin Dorocinski, Maria Bakalova
Running Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Release Date: Sept. 4, 2026
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
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