May Day is a light, entertaining adventure built around a wonderfully absurd Cold War premise. An American pilot, Troy Kelly, finds himself stranded in Russia while the Cold War is still very much alive. From there, the movie becomes a series of increasingly tricky situations as he tries to find his way back home.
The plot is mostly situational, and that is exactly where its appeal lies. It does not try to be more profound than it is. Instead, it works as a breezy adventure in which every problem becomes the backdrop for the next joke, escape or improbable turn.
Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh make the pairing work
Ryan Reynolds is the heart of the movie. His familiar timing, presence and offbeat humour keep the film moving, and he is consistently entertaining throughout. At times, he feels like he is bringing a little of Deadpool’s mischievous energy into a very different kind of story.
Kenneth Branagh is equally important to why May Day works. He plays Nikolai Ustinov, an ex-KGB agent who begins helping Troy largely because of his affection for American culture, music and Hollywood. His love for Top Gun and the popular culture he associates with America becomes the basis for much of the film’s humour. Even as circumstances become more complicated, he remains willing to help the American pilot from the land that gave him the films and music he loves.
The chemistry between Reynolds and Branagh is the film’s greatest strength. Nikolai repeatedly gets Troy out of difficult situations, while Troy is initially constrained by duty when Nikolai expresses his wish to go to America. Their back-and-forth develops into an odd but genuinely enjoyable partnership. John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein create two characters who feel tailor-made for these actors, and both Reynolds and Branagh make them their own.
“When a man does something for long enough, it stops being what he does. It becomes who he is.”
Nikolai Ustinov · May Day (2026)
Humour, action and a knowingly exaggerated premise
The screenplay is driven by sharp humour and an easygoing sense of fun. The slapstick can be brutal at times, and some jokes may feel offensive to Russians, but the movie generally remains a lighthearted popcorn entertainer. It is best enjoyed without overthinking the grim realities that sit behind its Cold War setting.
The fight scenes are well choreographed and keep the movie feeling energetic and occasionally badass. Marcin Dorociński, as Alexander Volkov, also makes a strong impression as the man determined to catch the American pilot on Russian soil. His performance gives the chase a needed sense of purpose without making the film too heavy.
May Day also makes a quiet effort to show a more human side of Russia and to move beyond easy stereotypes, even while it plays with some familiar ideas about the country. Branagh may be British, but he looks convincing in the role and brings real warmth to Nikolai.
A fun ride that asks you to go with it
The climax, in which Troy and Nikolai steal a tank, may be a little too much if you stop for a reality check. In real life, it would probably mean game over. But within the movie’s playful world, it earns a few laughs and fits the larger spirit of the film.
At its core, May Day is an entertaining story of two unlikely allies helping each other get what they want. Troy’s effort to repay Nikolai after being repeatedly saved gives the film a pleasing emotional thread, while their chemistry makes the pairing a hoot to watch.
There is enough here to imagine a sequel, especially because Reynolds and Branagh work so well together. Still, May Day remains what it is: a fun, uncomplicated adventure rather than something deeper. Do not go in with towering expectations, but go in expecting to be thoroughly entertained.
Final verdict
May Day is a spirited popcorn adventure whose greatest asset is the chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. The humour and performances make it an easy watch, even when the story leans a little too far into its deliberately over-the-top situations.
May Day (2026)
