Snapshot
Apple TV just served up a trailer (and a first poster) for Mayday, a Cold War action-comedy pairing Ryan Reynolds with Sir Kenneth Branagh. It’s a genre-mix that wants to be part spy thriller, part buddy movie, and mostly a noisy, affectionate throwback to the kind of buddy films that used to rule the ’80s.
The setup
Reynolds plays Lt. Troy Kelly — brash, military, and very much not subtle — who’s sent on a clandestine mission into Russian territory. Unsurprisingly, the plan goes sideways and he winds up stuck behind enemy lines.
Enter Kenneth Branagh as Nikolai Ustinov, a grizzled ex-KGB type with an odd soft spot for American culture. The pair form an unlikely alliance: one is all sass and swagger, the other is fussy, clever, and secretly kind of smitten with U.S. pop tunes. Predictable? Maybe. Delightful? Also yes.
Who’s steering the chaos
The movie is written and directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the duo behind Game Night, Vacation, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. If you liked the smart-but-goofy energy of those films, you’re getting more of that same recipe — but with Cold War tension as the backdrop.
What the trailer sells
Expect quick banter, tense hide-and-seek, and a fair bit of physical comedy. The film leans into the odd-couple chemistry: one buddy thinks he’s a one-man war machine, the other treats espionage like a museum tour. It’s packed with genre wink, pratfalls, and heart.
Vibe & tone
Mayday feels like a love letter to the buddy-action comedies of old — gritty moments mixed with laugh-out-loud gags. It’s cheeky, a little sentimental, and never too serious for its own good.
Release info
Mayday is a Skydance Media production for Apple Original Films and will premiere on Apple TV on September 4. The trailer and poster are already out, so add it to the watchlist if you like your espionage with a side of wisecracks.
Final take
If you’ve been pining for a movie that can flip from tense cloak-and-dagger to ridiculous bromance in two cuts, Mayday might scratch that itch. Ryan Reynolds brings the sarcasm, Kenneth Branagh brings the gravitas (and dry humor), and the directors bring the chaotic charm. Mark your calendars — this could be the weirdly wholesome Cold War caper we didn’t know we needed.