This Hollywood Reporter review assesses "Mayday", a 1987-set action-comedy from Apple TV+ starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. It matters as another example of a mid-budget genre film that would once have been a cinema staple now heading straight to streaming, with the review crediting the two leads' chemistry for making an otherwise formulaic story work.

Reynolds plays naval pilot Troy Kelly, who ejects over Soviet Russia and is rescued and reluctantly protected by Nikolai "Nick" Ustinov (Branagh), a former KGB agent and Americana enthusiast. Directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the film features strong action set pieces, including an ejection sequence, several fight scenes and a chase involving a stolen nuclear missile launcher, though the critic notes it runs too long and includes an underused subplot involving Maria Bakalova and David Morse. Despite these flaws, the review calls it an entertaining diversion carried by Branagh's deadpan comic turn and Reynolds' familiar wisecracking style, and suggests audiences may hope for a hinted sequel.