Film Review – Mayday

September 7th, 2026 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Mayday (2026) wears its Cold War era pop culture nostalgia proudly on its sleeve. In the opening scene, U.S. Navy fighter pilot Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Ryan Reynolds) helps his wingman land on an aircraft carrier. If this sounds familiar, it’s a pretty clear call back to a similar scene at the beginning of Top Gun (1986). In fact, the Tom Cruise-starring blockbuster plays as a major influence all throughout this film. Not only because Kelly is a hot shot “maverick” pilot, but Top Gun also serves as a basis to examine the tense relationship between America and the former Soviet Union during the 1980s. That tension became the starting point for countless action thrillers in the decade and does so again here – with a twist. More on that later.

Written and directed by the duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the narrative uses the Cold War as the foundational layer of a quirky buddy comedy. After being recruited for a top secret mission that fails miserably, Troy finds himself stranded behind enemy lines deep in Soviet territory. Luckily for him, he is first discovered by Nikolai Ustinov (Kenneth Branagh), a former KGB agent turned recluse who just happens to love American culture – movies, Bruce Springsteen, McDonalds, etc. Because his country prohibits its citizens from all forms of outside influence, Nikolai learns about the world through smuggled tapes and video cassettes. One of the funnier gags involves Nikolai showing Troy his bootleg copy of Top Gun, complete with a moment where the person illegally recording the movie forgets to stop the camcorder.  

With The Red Army – led by the ruthless Alexander Volkov (Marcin Dorocinski) – aware of his presence and hot on his trail, Kelly must make his way to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to escape imprisonment. Easier said than done. Nikolai offers his assistance in hopes that Troy will help him obtain permanent asylum in America. What unfolds is a journey in which the two men take all manners of travel while staying out of sight by authorities. Their partnership also provides them the opportunity to learn about one another’s countries. In past Cold War movies, the distinction between “Us vs. Them” was made clear, with an obvious winner and loser. This time, the dividing lines are a little more blurred. We come to find that Troy and Nikolai’s backgrounds are not all that dissimilar. Both grew up in a system that made them believe the world was a certain way, both fought for the respective countries, and both have come to realize that their governments may not have been telling them the whole truth. 

It’s been said that the success of any movie depends largely on its casting. In this case, the casting of Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh is a perfect example of that sentiment. Their pairing may not be the first that comes to mind, but in execution the two play off one another extremely well. Reynolds tones down his dry, sarcastic persona way down for his role as Troy. Troy is the “straight man” of this comedic team, with Reynolds spending a lot of the time reacting to Nikolai’s shenanigans. On the flipside, I think it’s safe to say that not many of us would’ve thought Kenneth Branagh to excel as an action comedy star. But Branagh proves us wrong, with his performance as Nikolai clearly being the major highlight. Despite being well into his sixties, Branagh meets all the physical requirements of the part, kicking and punching his way through an endless stream of henchman. At the same time, he gives Nikolai a sense of wit and charm that is easy to root for. He makes Nikolai’s love for American culture sweet and earnest, despite him being an efficient killing machine too.

Naturally, Troy and Nikolai’s partnership make for plenty of screwball antics. However, the writing and direction does allow for more heartfelt elements to creep in. For Troy, that would involve his deep love and admiration for his father (David Morse), who we learn is suffering from a terminal illness brought on by unsafe, government-led workplaces. That aspect works in direct contrast to Troy’s loyalty to his country and duty as a fighter pilot. For Nikolai, the human factor resides in his daughter, Anna (Maria Bakalova) a freedom fighter who lives mostly in hiding. Anna’s humanitarian struggles conflict with Nikolai’s past work in the KGB. Where he wants his daughter to escape with him to the U.S., she believes in staying and fighting for real social change. In one of the better scenes of the whole movie, Troy watches through a window as Nikolai and Anna share a sincere and honest conversation. Despite not being able to hear what they say, the facial reactions of both tell us all we need to know about their relationship.

On a technical level, Mayday incorporates plenty of visual fireworks during the big, splashy action scenes. The cinematography (Barry Peterson) and editing (Jamie Gross, John Lee) allow the choreography to play out in wide angles and minimal cuts, giving us the opportunity to see the stunt crew work their magic. During a bar brawl between Troy, Nikolai and a host of adversaries, the geography of the fight is crystal clear. The camerawork remains fluid instead of shaky and the editing is sparse instead of overdone. This approach also applies to the bigger sequences, including a chase scene featuring – of all things – a nuclear missile. The camera captures images like an omniscient presence, gliding through walls or closed doors, and will often sync with the action. If someone falls flat on their face, the camera will fall along with them in a sideways position. This style calls attention to itself, and the use of CGI is apparent in some key moments. But for the most part the action is well staged.  

Mayday stumbles in the closing passages, opting for cheesy sentimentality that seems too far removed from everything that happened in the first two acts. But it wasn’t enough to deter my overall enjoyment. I had a lot of fun with this. The film gives its own take on ‘80s action pictures without being a simple retread of the blueprint. The action is good, the humor works, and – perhaps to the largest degree – Kenneth Branagh is a near revelation with his performance. This is a throwback film that will likely get better with repeated viewings.

Barry Peterson, David Morse, Featured, Jamie Gross, John Francis Daley, John Lee, Jonathan Goldstein, Kenneth Branagh, Marcin Dorocinski, Maria Bakalova, Mayday, Ryan Reynolds, Tom Cruise, Top Gun