Apple TV's new Cold War-set action-comedy Mayday is winning strong early reviews, with critics praising the pairing of Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh under directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the team behind Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Reviewers note that although the opening closely echoes Top Gun, the film distinguishes itself with a more nuanced, even-handed portrayal of both American and Soviet characters, and is being tipped as a likely sleeper hit for the streamer ahead of the duo's next project, a Star Trek film reboot.

Set in 1987, the film follows US Navy pilot Troy "Assassin" Kelly (Reynolds), who is shot down over Soviet Russia on a covert mission and rescued by Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh), a Russian citizen seeking to defect, with the pair forming an uneasy alliance to evade the KGB. Notably, it is Branagh rather than Reynolds who takes the lead in the film's hand-to-hand combat sequences, drawing comparisons to John Wick, while the two stars are also praised for their strong on-screen chemistry, with Reynolds reining in his usual quippy style. Supporting cast includes Maria Bakalova and Marcin Dorocinski in roles reviewers say avoid one-dimensional Cold War stereotyping.