Ryan Reynolds has swapped the red Deadpool suit for a pilot suit in Mayday, but anyone hoping for a complete departure from his wisecracking superhero persona may be disappointed. Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, this is an action-packed Cold War adventure that throws Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh together in one of the more unexpected cinematic pairings of the year. And somehow, it works.
The film opens in a snowy landscape, immediately throwing us into the action. Blurry imagery places us almost directly inside Lieutenant Troy Brennan’s (Reynolds) perspective as he navigates a top-secret surveillance mission over Soviet airspace. It is tense from the get-go, before the film quite literally takes flight. Jets tear through the sky as Juno Van Halen’s music kicks in, giving the opening an unmistakable Top Gun flavour. That comparison isn’t exactly subtle either, with a Top Gun poster even appearing on one of the walls. Clearly, the filmmakers know their influences.
Troy’s mission takes a disastrous turn when he is forced to eject from his plane over the Russian wilderness. Stranded in unfamiliar territory, he is rescued by Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh), a Russian native whose admiration for American culture makes him a rather unexpected companion. What follows is a strange but surprisingly enjoyable buddy adventure as the pair begin to discover just how much they have in common despite their vastly different backgrounds.
The premise itself is fairly simple, but simplicity isn’t necessarily a problem when you fill your film with this much action, comedy and spectacle. Mayday moves at a rapid pace, rarely giving its audience enough time to become bored. The writing is similarly quick and energetic, although there is an interesting disconnect between the film’s 1980s setting and its very modern sense of humour. It often feels like a contemporary comedy has been dropped into a Cold War thriller.
Fortunately, Reynolds’ comedic timing fits the material like a glove. There are plenty of quick one-liners throughout, including the particularly amusing “dinner and a funeral” response when Troy’s father reveals that he is going on a date with an elderly patient at the hospital. The problem is that Reynolds’ charm is beginning to come with a sense of déjà vu. He is funny, quick and effortlessly likeable, but there are moments when it feels less like watching Troy Brennan and more like watching Ryan Reynolds playing a slightly different version of Ryan Reynolds. The Deadpool-esque persona has become so familiar that it can sometimes overshadow the character he is actually supposed to be playing.
Branagh is superb. While he is hardly unfamiliar with comedy, it isn’t necessarily the first genre you associate with him, making his performance here particularly refreshing. Nikolai is eccentric, physical and endlessly entertaining, and Branagh throws himself into the action with an enthusiasm that is genuinely infectious. I am much more accustomed to seeing Branagh in “talkier”, more dramatic roles, so watching him charging around the Russian wilderness and getting involved in the film’s more physical set pieces is a welcome change of pace.
More importantly, his chemistry with Reynolds is excellent. On paper, the pairing sounds bizarre, but that is precisely what makes it work. Their differences become the source of much of the humour, while their growing friendship gives the film a surprising amount of heart.
Some of the action sequences even have a hint of Kingsman about them, leaning into the heightened, almost cartoonish quality of the set pieces rather than attempting to deliver gritty realism. Combined with the fast-paced dialogue, it makes Mayday feel like a film that is primarily interested in having a good time. Visually, there is plenty to admire too. Some of the cinematography by Barry Peterson is genuinely impressive, with a particularly effective split-diopter shot standing out. Another sequence involving people moving up a suitcase is cleverly constructed, while the various locations help immerse us in the film’s Russian setting.
That said, the visual style did leave me slightly conflicted. Mayday is set during the 1980s Cold War, yet its cinematography frequently feels incredibly bright and high-key. I understand why this decision has been made: the film is a comedy, and the lighter visual style complements its playful tone. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something grittier would have suited the period and subject matter better. Seeing brightly lit, glossy digital images of Lenin and Soviet Russia doesn’t quite evoke the atmosphere I expected from a Cold War thriller.
It is also a shame that Maria Bakalova is given so little to do. Bakalova is an exceptional actress, and while she makes the most of her limited screen time, her presence ultimately feels like a wasted opportunity. There is clearly more that could have been explored with her character, and the film would have benefited from giving her a more substantial role.
Ultimately, Mayday is a strange little film. It doesn’t completely commit to being a Cold War thriller, nor does it attempt to recreate the period with complete authenticity. Instead, it combines an old-school aviation adventure with modern comedy, energetic action and an unlikely bromance between Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. It’s action-packed, funny and easy to watch, with Branagh proving to be the unexpected MVP. The plot may be simple, but when you’re having this much fun, does it really matter?
It’s is unlikely to change the world, but it doesn’t need to. Sometimes a film just needs to put two unlikely actors together, throw some planes into the sky, turn up the Bruce Springsteen and let the chaos unfold. And, thankfully, this one is a pretty fun ride.
Streaming on Apple TV from September 4th / Ryan Reynolds, Kenneth Branagh, Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński, David Morse / Dir: Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley / Apple
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