JAKARTA, TheKabarNews.com—Mayday, Apple TV’s new Cold War action comedy, succeeds largely because Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh turn an unlikely alliance into an entertaining story about loyalty, loneliness and ideological prejudice.

Apple released the film globally on September 4, 2026, including in Indonesia. Subscribers can stream it through the Apple TV application or the Apple TV Indonesia website.

The platform lists a running time of about 110 minutes, while the Motion Picture Association rated it PG-13 for action, violence, strong language, suggestive references and smoking.

John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein wrote and directed Mayday. The filmmakers previously collaborated on Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Apple Studios produced the movie with Skydance Media and Reynolds’ Maximum Effort.

Set in 1987, the film follows US Navy Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly, played by Reynolds. Military commanders send the ambitious pilot on a classified mission over Soviet territory, but the operation fails and leaves him stranded behind enemy lines.

Branagh plays the reclusive ex-KGB agent Nikolai Ustinov who discovers the injured pilot. Troy initially regards him as a threat, but Nikolai’s fascination with American culture—and particularly Top Gun—creates an opening for cooperation.

Their escape brings them into conflict with Soviet officer Alexander Volkov, portrayed by Marcin Dorociński. Maria Bakalova plays Nikolai’s daughter, Anna, while David Morse appears as Troy’s father, Harold.

Apple describes the movie as an action-packed buddy comedy that “flips the spy thriller on its head.” Its official synopsis emphasizes the alliance between two men whom Cold War politics should have made enemies.

Reynolds uses his familiar dry sarcasm, but Branagh provides the film’s most distinctive performance. His deadpan delivery makes Nikolai amusing without reducing him to a caricature.

The character’s isolation also gives the story an emotional foundation beneath its chases and physical comedy.

The two actors develop convincing chemistry as Troy gradually abandons his rigid assumptions about the Soviet Union. Nikolai, meanwhile, begins to see Troy as more than a possible route to the American life he has long admired.

Daley and Goldstein frame the film as an affectionate tribute to 1980s action cinema. Flight sequences, military vehicles and visual references to Top Gun support that approach.

The directors reportedly obtained permission to incorporate footage from the 1986 film, strengthening the connection between Nikolai’s obsession and the period setting.

The plot follows a recognizable buddy-movie formula, and several supporting characters receive limited development.

Some escapes also depend more on genre convenience than credibility. Yet the brisk pacing prevents those weaknesses from overwhelming the story.

The film is enjoyable within its slick, self-aware presentation, although it questioned how convincingly the production recreates 1987. Other critics have highlighted Branagh’s comic performance and the pairing’s chemistry.

Mayday does not attempt a complex study of Cold War history. Instead, it uses geopolitical rivalry as the setting for a straightforward argument: personal loyalty can become more meaningful than the political labels assigned to strangers.

For Indonesian Apple TV subscribers seeking accessible action with comedy and emotional warmth, Mayday offers a polished streaming option.

Review score: 8/10