Mayday 2026 Movie Review
So, Mayday has just been released on Apple TV, starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. David Morse is also in the film, whom we know from The Rock and 12 Monkeys with Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt.
So, what can I say? The main character is a naval aviator, and during one of his training missions, he proves himself to be an excellent pilot and a true professional. After that, he is offered a dangerous assignment: fly a reconnaissance aircraft close to the Soviet border and photograph military installations.
But the mission doesn’t go according to plan. His aircraft is shot down by a Soviet fighter jet, his co-pilot is killed, and the main character manages to eject before ending up in the middle of a remote forest. A local man finds him there, and that’s where his adventure really begins.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the movie. But what impressed me the most was definitely the visual presentation.
The movie was released on Apple TV in 4K, and visually, it looks absolutely stunning. I found out that the Soviet scenes were filmed in Hungary, and that genuinely surprised me. I honestly can’t remember another movie filmed outside Russia that recreated the Soviet era with this level of quality and attention to detail, especially in 4K.
Everything is incredibly detailed: the trains, streets, people, clothing, interiors and cars. We see the Niva, different Zhiguli models, including the famous original “Kopeyka.” I even noticed bottles of Soviet vodka, including Stolichnaya, packs of cigarettes, and countless other little details.
And most importantly, everything looks bright, sharp and incredibly detailed in 4K. This isn’t the faded image we’re used to seeing in old Soviet films. Here, you can literally examine the Soviet Union in every little detail. In terms of visually recreating the Soviet era, this is probably one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
As for the story itself, though, it gets a little silly at times. I especially didn’t like the fight scenes. There are quite a few of them, and some feel stupid and unnecessary. I still prefer the fights from the old-school Schwarzenegger action movies – they just had a completely different feel.
The humor doesn’t always work either. A couple of jokes genuinely made me laugh, but many of them rely on stereotypes and that classic Hollywood-style “cranberry” portrayal of the Soviet Union.
Still, the movie is easy and enjoyable to watch, and I liked the performances. Kenneth Branagh is great. I’d almost forgotten how good he can be. And Ryan Reynolds, of course, does a good job as well.
Another thing I liked is that the movie occasionally explores the confrontation between two systems – American and Soviet, capitalist and communist. The characters discuss these differences with each other, and we even see the contrast between the two worlds through the lives of ordinary families.
An American finds himself inside a culture completely foreign to him and gradually begins to notice not only the differences, but also the things that bring people together.
And in the end, the message of the movie is pretty simple to me: it doesn’t matter whether you live in the Soviet Union or in America. There are good people everywhere, and there are bad people everywhere. First and foremost, we’re all human beings.
And the most important thing is to have as many good people in this world as possible. Then life will be better for all of us.
