Miss classic 80s buddy action? First reactions say Ryan Reynolds’ Mayday is an explosive throwback

If you, like me, have been missing the days when big personalities were chucked together and forced to survive explosions, gunfights, and each other’s company — all with a bit of banter — Mayday is about to be your jam. It feels like Ryan Reynolds has been weirdly quiet lately, at least if you don’t count Deadpool shenanigans or the relentless social media. But with his latest, there’s proper buzz already building, and for once, the hype seems justified.

Mayday lands on Apple TV 4 September 2026.

The plot is gloriously simple in a way that someone somewhere should have greenlit much sooner: Reynolds plays Lieutenant Troy Brennan, a Cold War pilot who crash-lands in the middle of Soviet territory and is forced to survive behind enemy lines. To make things more unhinged, his only hope of not dying in the snow is teaming up — reluctantly, naturally — with a Russian ex-KGB chap by the name of Nikolai Ustinov (Kenneth Branagh, of all people), whose thing is being both gruff and weirdly obsessed with Americana. If you’re hearing the echo of every ’80s cable classic, you’re in the right place.

The Odd Couple Goes Cold War

On paper, it’s the classic setup: fish out of water, unlikely partners, explosive action. In reality, the first crowd to actually see this thing is raving about it. Early reactions are full of nostalgia — not glossy, empty sort, but genuine appreciation for stunt-heavy films with actual jokes and actual chemistry between leads. The verdict from those who got early access: the Reynolds-Branagh duo just works. By all accounts the energy is electric, with the sort of back-and-forth that doesn’t feel manufactured just to sell Netflix subscriptions.

• Directors: John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (think 'Game Night' and 'Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves' — both fun, both far cleverer than expected)
• Genre: Full-blooded throwback to buddy-action movies
• Release: 4 September 2026, straight to Apple TV
• Main cast: Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh

'Mayday' Gets the Seal of Approval

So, are people actually enjoying it, or is this just another round of polite, professional cheerleading? Early viewers say it’s the real deal: relentless action, punchy dialogue, and set pieces that feel big and unashamedly ludicrous. Plenty of reviewers mention they haven’t seen this sort of late-summer, genre-blending energy since, well, before it went out of fashion. Daley and Goldstein are getting a lot of the credit for balancing chaos and jokes — not an easy mix, but apparently they’ve pulled it off with proper style.

If you’ve been starved for a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously but takes entertaining you very seriously indeed, Mayday could be the one you’ve been waiting for.