Ryan Reynolds' new Apple TV film Mayday has become the most-watched Apple TV original movie ever during its initial 18-day viewing period following its premiere on 4 September. The Cold War action-comedy, starring Reynolds alongside acclaimed actor and director Kenneth Branagh, represents a significant commercial success for the streaming platform and marks Reynolds' major return to cinema after Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024. Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the film follows a U.S. Navy pilot who becomes stranded behind enemy lines and forms an unlikely alliance with a former KGB agent.

The film achieved 8.7 million views during its first week on the platform, according to viewership analytics site Luminate, and has maintained a top position in the weeks following its debut. Mayday has been well-received by critics, earning an 83 per cent score on Rotten Tomatoes, though audience reception proved more mixed with a 68 per cent rating on the Popcornmeter, with some viewers finding the humour did not land as effectively. The movie is described as a genre-bending, action-packed buddy comedy that subverts traditional spy thriller conventions.