Mayday: Reynolds and Branagh's Cold War Buddy Comedy

What's the actual plot?

Lieutenant Troy "Assassin" Kelly, played by Ryan Reynolds, a hotshot U.S. Navy pilot, is sent on a top-secret reconnaissance mission into Russian territory at the height of the Cold War when the operation implodes, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines. He's discovered by Nikolai Ustinov, played by Kenneth Branagh, a gruff ex-KGB agent with a genuine, unexpected fondness for American culture. Troy initially believes he's facing certain capture or death, but Nikolai's sympathy toward him instead leads to an unlikely alliance and a bond neither man saw coming.

Who else is in the cast?

Maria Bakalova plays Anna Ustinov, Marcin Dorociński plays Alexander Volkov, and David Morse plays Harold Kelly, rounding out a cast that blends genuine international talent with the film's two marquee leads.

Who directed and wrote the film?

Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the directing and writing duo known for Game Night and the recent Vacation Friends films, both wrote and directed Mayday, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Ryan Reynolds himself, Ashley Fox, Johnny Pariseau, and the directors themselves all producing.

What studios were actually behind the production?

Apple Original Films produced alongside Skydance Media and Reynolds's own production company, Maximum Effort, giving the project a genuinely notable combination of major streaming, traditional studio, and Reynolds's specific comedic sensibility all contributing to its final tone.

How is the film actually described in terms of genre, and why does that framing matter?

Apple's own official description calls it "a genre-bending, action-packed buddy comedy that flips the spy thriller on its head," a framing that reflects the film's deliberate blend of genuine 1980s Cold War thriller tropes, with specific references to that era's action filmmaking style, alongside real comedic chemistry between its two central performances.

What's the film's actual runtime and release format?

111 minutes according to Wikipedia's listing, though Apple TV's own platform lists it at 1 hour 50 minutes, premiering as a full Apple Original Film available to stream for subscribers rather than a theatrical release, with a 14+ content rating on the platform.

Was this project always intended as a film, or did its format change during development?

Genuinely, its format did shift during development. Mayday was originally in development as an action-adventure television series for Apple TV+, before the project evolved into its final form as a feature film starring Reynolds, Branagh, Dorociński, Bakalova, and Morse.

How does the film's premise deliberately reference specific 1980s genre conventions?

Genuinely directly, coverage of the film has noted its heavy references to the tropes and specific clichés found in 1980s action films like Top Gun, using that deliberate genre homage as part of its comedic and stylistic identity rather than playing its Cold War setting completely straight.

Frequently asked questions

When did Mayday premiere? September 4, 2026, globally on Apple TV.

Who stars in Mayday? Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh lead the cast, alongside Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński, and David Morse.

Was Mayday always planned as a film? No, it was originally in development as a television series before evolving into a feature film.

What genre does Apple describe Mayday as? A genre-bending, action-packed buddy comedy that flips typical spy thriller conventions.

Want something else to watch tonight?

Our movie recommendation quiz can help you find something similar to check out.