Overview
- The film premiered on Apple TV on Sept. 4 as an Apple Studios and Skydance Media production directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.
- Mayday follows a downed U.S. pilot and an eccentric ex‑KGB operative in 1987 Soviet territory, using that premise to drive chase scenes, dogfights and broad buddy‑comedy beats.
- Critics have broadly praised Kenneth Branagh’s scene‑stealing performance and the leads’ chemistry while several reviews flagged Ryan Reynolds’ familiar wisecrack persona as a limiting factor.
- Reviewers consistently lauded the movie’s practical stunts, cinematography and ’80s nostalgia but noted a mismatch between the film’s cinematic scale and its streaming‑only release.
- Directors say the movie was shaped as a comic riff on Misery and classic buddy films, and its Apple TV debut underscores a growing industry trend of high‑budget pictures bypassing theaters for streaming distribution.