Ryan Reynolds' New Apple TV Thriller Officially Fires Up His Best Rotten Tomatoes Score In 10 Years

Published Sep 2, 2026, 6:55 PM EDT Fariba Rezwan is a Lead Editor for the Movie News team. She has been with ScreenRant for nearly five years, with roles ranging from list editor to junior news editor. During that time, Fariba has led coverage for breaking movies and TV news, including Hunger Games, Marvel, and streaming. Additionally, she has actively provided commentary and reactions to the biggest movies and shows on her YouTube channel, The Movieception Show. Ryan Reynolds' new Apple TV thriller has earned an official verdict on Rotten Tomatoes. As uncertainty looms regarding Deadpool's return in Avengers: Doomsday, Reynolds co-leads the new thriller Mayday, alongside Oscar-winning filmmaker Kenneth Branagh. A blend of buddy comedy and espionage, the story follows a U.S. Navy pilot (Reynolds) who gets stranded in Soviet Russia after his plane is shot down. After being rescued by an ex-KGB agent (Branagh), the American fugitive forms an unlikely alliance to escape enemy territory. After early reactions hinted that Mayday could be one of the best movies of the year, the official reviews are out. Based on 25 reviews so far, Apple TV's Mayday debuted at an outstanding 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although the rating will likely change over the coming days, the action-packed thriller currently ranks as one of Reynolds' highest-rated starring movies of all time at #6 and his best within the last decade. The movie is rated behind Deadpool (85%), The Whale (86%), Buried (87%), Adventureland (89%), and Mississippi Grind (91%), while slightly edging ahead of Deadpool 2 (83%) and Free Guy (80%). Many critics praised the upcoming flick as a throwback to classic '80s buddy comedies. In particular, Reynolds' wisecracking protagonist and Branagh's weird, yet grounded action hero complement each other, while the movie is packed with explosive, yet well-choreographed action. Ryan Reynolds' 6 Highest-Rated Starring Movies Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score Mississippi Grind (2015) 91% 56% Adventureland (2009) 89% 61% Buried (2010) 87% 65% The Whale (2011) 86% 83% Deadpool (2016) 85% 90% Mayday (2026) 84% N/A The directing-writing duo, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, strikes again with fast-paced direction and a solid script that balances the comedy and spy elements. Mayday is their fourth movie directing together after critical darlings like Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. In ScreenRant's review of Mayday, Alex Harrison was pleased by the "straightforward fun in the style of '80s buddy comedies, ultimately more reminiscent of something like Midnight Run than Top Gun." While admittedly not a "home run," the Apple TV thriller takes advantage of Branagh and Reynolds' strong suits as a "winning odd-couple pair." While Mayday may not be the most original action-packed buddy comedy, it's enough to earn a noteworthy 7 out of 10 stars. Mayday marks Reynolds' first starring role since the Marvel blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine, where he reunited with Hugh Jackman after over a decade. Meanwhile, through his company Maximum Effort, the actor has served as a producer on numerous projects over the years, including the critically acclaimed documentary, John Candy: I Like Me. As rumors circulate about Reynolds' potential appearance in Avengers: Doomsday, he does have a few projects lined up. He will voice Pony in the upcoming animated feature, Animal Friends, set for January 2027. Reynolds will also star and produce the fantasy adventure, Eloise, which is currently in post-production. Netflix has not announced the release date. Reynold is one of the many Mayday producers, alongside Goldstein, Daley, David Ellison, Don Granger, Dana Goldberg, Ashley Fox, Johnny Pariseau, and Patrick Gooing. Alongside the main duo, the cast features Maria Bakalova, Marcin Dorociński, and David Morse. Reynolds and Daley previously starred together in the 2005 comedy, Waiting. Mayday will be released on Apple TV on September 4, 2026. Release Date September 4, 2026 Runtime 110 minutes Director John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein Writers Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley Producers Ashley Fox, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison, Don Granger, John G. Scotti, Johnny Pariseau, Jonathan Goldstein, Patrick Gooing