Mayday (2026)

Manuel São Bento September 3, 2026

★ 6/10

Check out my full review @ https://www.manuelsbento.com/mayday-2026-kenneth-branagh-steals-the-show-from-ryan-reynolds-in-an-unapologetically-formulaic-throwback/ Rating: B- MAYDAY knows exactly what it wants to be: a fun, unpretentious '80s throwback carried almost entirely by the chemistry between its two leads. Kenneth Branagh is the real standout, gruff and unexpectedly funny, while Ryan Reynolds keeps his usual instincts nicely in check. The action is sharp and the pacing brisk, but the film takes zero risks — predictable from start to finish, with underdeveloped side characters and a Cold War backdrop that never amounts to much. Still, a solid, entertaining watch.

Martin Oaks September 11, 2026

★ 6/10

**The return of filmmaking as they used to make it** What a rare treat it is to be genuinely surprised by a movie nowadays. And how telling it is of contemporary cinema that stumbling upon a gem like this feels more like a stroke of pure luck than the product of routine industry talent. The year is 1987, at the absolute height of the Cold War. Troy "Assassin" Kelly (Ryan Reynolds), a cocky, reckless US Navy pilot, is shot down over enemy territory during a top-secret reconnaissance mission. Stranded in the brutal Siberian wilderness and hunted by Soviet security operatives, his only hope for survival rests on a completely unexpected ally: Nikolai (Kenneth Branagh), a gruff carpenter and former KGB agent who, ironically, harbors a deep, secret love for American pop culture, Bruce Springsteen, and Hollywood movies (talk about a needle in a Soviet haystack). Together, this odd couple …

Sierbahnn September 12, 2026

★ 5/10

There was a time when Ryan Reynolds presentation on screen was refreshing. Now it is repetitive and derivative of his own work. He becomes less and less funny the more you see him, and this movie brings **nothing** new. I wish to emphasize that it is really nothing new. It is just watching the same character in a different suit do the same thing all over again. He is perfectly cast for the part because he's playing the same character that he does in every other movie. The addition of Kenneth Branagh is of course very welcome, and he does his best with the material, but his character is simply not very engaging, and the movie isn't very good overall. I'm sure that it will sell on the names alone and that people will have a lot of other opinions than mine, but if you have grown tired of watching Ryan Reynolds do the same thing over and over and over, then this movie will leave you flabberg…