Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Zach Pope reviews MAYDAY, the new Ryan Reynolds & Kenneth Branagh action-comedy from directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, premiering September 4 on Apple TV.
Mayday follows hotshot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly, played by Ryan Reynolds, after a top-secret Cold War mission into Russian territory goes horribly wrong. Stranded behind enemy lines, Troy encounters Nikolai Ustinov, played by Kenneth Branagh, a gruff former KGB agent with an unexpected love for American culture. What begins as an unlikely alliance develops into an action-packed buddy adventure as Nikolai attempts to help Troy escape.
Written and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the filmmaking duo behind Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Mayday also stars Marcin Dorociński, Maria Bakalova, and David Morse. The movie is set in 1987 and even incorporates Top Gun into its period setting, with the filmmakers receiving permission to use footage from the 1986 film.
Zach breaks down Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh’s incredible chemistry, the old-school buddy-comedy structure, Daley and Goldstein’s direction, the Cold War setting, the cultural differences between Troy and Nikolai, the movie’s top-tier action sequences, and why Kenneth Branagh completely steals Mayday.
Because this is exactly the kind of movie I feel like we just don’t get enough of anymore.
It’s an unapologetic THROWBACK.
Big action.
Comedy.
Two completely different personalities forced together.
Characters from completely different cultures slowly discovering they might actually have more in common than either expected.
And most importantly?
CHARM.
Daley and Goldstein understand how important that is.
The action can be huge and the jokes can land, but none of that matters if you don’t actually enjoy spending time with these characters.
And Ryan Reynolds + Kenneth Branagh are SO MUCH FUN together.
Reynolds gets to use that natural charisma and comedic timing we already expect from him, but pairing him with Branagh creates this completely different dynamic that continually worked for me.
Because Branagh?
HE IS FUCKING FANTASTIC.
Nikolai might genuinely be one of my favorite characters of 2026.
He’s funny without feeling like he exists ONLY to deliver jokes, he brings so much personality to every scene, and there’s a sincerity underneath the performance that gives the entire movie more heart than I expected.
And then the ACTION?
TOP TIER.
Daley and Goldstein clearly understand the kind of old-school action movie they're playing with, and Mayday embraces that energy instead of constantly trying to apologize for it.
It’s entertaining.
It’s funny.
It has heart.
And it understands that sometimes you really can build an entire movie around watching two entertaining people from completely different worlds slowly become friends.
Mayday is a fantastic throwback to the action buddy-comedies we just don’t get enough anymore.
And Kenneth Branagh?
ABSOLUTELY STEALS THE SHOW.
Mayday premieres globally September 4 on Apple TV.
#Mayday #Maydaymovie #ryanreynolds #appletv
Find Me!
Instagram: instagram.com/zachhpope/?hl=en
Twitter(X): twitter.com/popetheking
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@zachhpope?lang=en
Business Inquires: Zachpopereviews@gmail.com
Zach Pope reviews MAYDAY, the new Ryan Reynolds & Kenneth Branagh action-comedy from directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, premiering September 4 on Apple TV.
Mayday follows hotshot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly, played by Ryan Reynolds, after a top-secret Cold War mission into Russian territory goes horribly wrong. Stranded behind enemy lines, Troy encounters Nikolai Ustinov, played by Kenneth Branagh, a gruff former KGB agent with an unexpected love for American culture. What begins as an unlikely alliance develops into an action-packed buddy adventure as Nikolai attempts to help Troy escape.
Written and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the filmmaking duo behind Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Mayday also stars Marcin Dorociński, Maria Bakalova, and David Morse. The movie is set in 1987 and even incorporates Top Gun into its period setting, with the filmmakers receiving permission to use footage from the 1986 film.
Zach breaks down Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh’s incredible chemistry, the old-school buddy-comedy structure, Daley and Goldstein’s direction, the Cold War setting, the cultural differences between Troy and Nikolai, the movie’s top-tier action sequences, and why Kenneth Branagh completely steals Mayday.
Because this is exactly the kind of movie I feel like we just don’t get enough of anymore.
It’s an unapologetic THROWBACK.
Big action.
Comedy.
Two completely different personalities forced together.
Characters from completely different cultures slowly discovering they might actually have more in common than either expected.
And most importantly?
CHARM.
Daley and Goldstein understand how important that is.
The action can be huge and the jokes can land, but none of that matters if you don’t actually enjoy spending time with these characters.
And Ryan Reynolds + Kenneth Branagh are SO MUCH FUN together.
Reynolds gets to use that natural charisma and comedic timing we already expect from him, but pairing him with Branagh creates this completely different dynamic that continually worked for me.
Because Branagh?
HE IS FUCKING FANTASTIC.
Nikolai might genuinely be one of my favorite characters of 2026.
He’s funny without feeling like he exists ONLY to deliver jokes, he brings so much personality to every scene, and there’s a sincerity underneath the performance that gives the entire movie more heart than I expected.
And then the ACTION?
TOP TIER.
Daley and Goldstein clearly understand the kind of old-school action movie they're playing with, and Mayday embraces that energy instead of constantly trying to apologize for it.
It’s entertaining.
It’s funny.
It has heart.
And it understands that sometimes you really can build an entire movie around watching two entertaining people from completely different worlds slowly become friends.
Mayday is a fantastic throwback to the action buddy-comedies we just don’t get enough anymore.
And Kenneth Branagh?
ABSOLUTELY STEALS THE SHOW.
Mayday premieres globally September 4 on Apple TV.
#Mayday #Maydaymovie #ryanreynolds #appletv
Find Me!
Instagram: instagram.com/zachhpope/?hl=en
Twitter(X): twitter.com/popetheking
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@zachhpope?lang=en
Business Inquires: Zachpopereviews@gmail.com
