12 Movies Like Mayday You Must See

Set during a tense phase of the Cold War, Apple TV’s ‘Mayday’ is the tale of US Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy Kelly, AKA Assassin (Ryan Reynolds), who is sent on a covert mission over Soviet territory. However, the mission goes disastrously wrong, placing him in a strange predicament. After a collision with a Russian fighter plane forces him to abandon his aircraft, Troy crashes into the wilderness and is left seriously injured and far from safety. His situation changes when Nikolai Ustinov (Kenneth Branagh), a former KGB operative now living a quiet life as a carpenter, discovers him. With Troy unable to escape on his own, Nikolai treats his injuries and agrees to help him find a way out of enemy territory. Nikolai does so because he is an admirer of American culture, democracy, and movies.

Hunted by hostile forces and forced to endure the harsh surroundings, the unlikely pair must depend on one another despite their differences. While their dangerous journey continues, clashes, unexpected encounters, and moments of camaraderie bring them closer together, turning a desperate escape into an unlikely friendship. Directed and written by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the action comedy film is a heartfelt intertwining of friendship, conflict, and survival. These movies, similar to ‘Mayday,’ will keep you intrigued with their puzzling storylines of survival struggles, unlikely partnerships, and heroic journeys.

12. War Dogs (2016)

‘War Dogs’ is set during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and follows David Packouz (Miles Teller), a young Miami resident. He is struggling to get his life on track when his old school friend Efraim Diveroli (Jonah Hill) suddenly reappears. Efraim has found an opportunity in the US government’s military contracting system, and he persuades David to join his unconventional arms-dealing business. What begins with relatively modest contracts quickly becomes far more ambitious as the pair starts making serious money. Their fortunes change dramatically when they secure a massive $300 million contract to supply weapons to Afghan forces, pushing their operation into territory occupied by powerful and dangerous players.

While their business grows increasingly difficult to control, David and Efraim discover that chasing military profits carries risks that money cannot easily solve. Brought to life by Todd Phillips, the comedy crime film is based on Guy Lawson’s Rolling Stone article titled ‘Arms and the Dudes.’ Both ‘Mayday’ and ‘War Dogs’ operate within the world of international military activity and use foreign landscapes to create uncertainty for the main characters, who face more risk than they bargained for.

11. The Way Back (2010)

‘The Way Back’ is a survival drama film set during the Second World War that delves into the life of Janusz (Jim Sturgess), a Polish army officer imprisoned in a Soviet labor camp after being falsely accused of espionage. Rather than endure confinement, Janusz chooses to join a small group of prisoners determined to reach freedom. A snowstorm gives them the opportunity they need, but leaving the camp is only the beginning of their ordeal. The fugitives must cross thousands of miles of unforgiving wilderness on foot, battling many dangers along the way. Their journey brings together people with very different personalities and backgrounds, forcing them to depend on one another.

When the group pushes through Siberia, the desert, and the Himalayas, survival becomes a test of their willingness to keep moving forward. The Peter Weir directorial is inspired by POW Sławomir Rawicz’s memoir ‘The Long Walk.’ Much like ‘Mayday,’ the narrative turns escape into an elemental battle against unforgiving wilderness during a time of international conflict. Troy and Janusz are both separated from the world they know and forced to navigate hostile territory where every step brings a new survival challenge.

10. Bridge of Spies (2015)

Partly inspired by real events and set during the Cold War, ‘Bridge of Spies’ deals with the aftermath of the incident where American pilot Francis Gary Powers’ plane is shot down over Soviet territory, leaving him imprisoned and sentenced to ten years. With diplomatic tensions escalating, the CIA turns to James Donovan (Tom Hanks), a lawyer who previously defended convicted Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance). Donovan is drawn into a negotiation that takes him to divided Berlin, where the possibility of a prisoner exchange begins to emerge. Abel could be traded for Powers, but arranging the deal requires Donovan to navigate an atmosphere of suspicion and political pressure.

Donovan attempts to negotiate a solution without allowing the situation to spiral further and have consequences far beyond a single prisoner. With veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg in the director’s chair, the movie captures the essence of ‘Mayday’ through its depiction of Cold War realities through conflicted characters. In both films, American pilots become entangled in dangerous situations involving Soviet territory and unforeseen consequences.

9. The Covenant (2023)

‘The Covenant’ or ‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’ delves into the life of US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) during the War in Afghanistan, where he works alongside Ahmed Abdullah (Dar Salim), a local interpreter. Their mission takes a disastrous turn when their unit is ambushed, leaving Kinley critically wounded and at the mercy of the enemy. Ahmed refuses to abandon him, undertaking an extraordinary journey to carry the injured soldier to safety. Kinley eventually survives and returns home, but his relief is short-lived when he discovers that Ahmed and his family were denied the safe passage to America they had been promised. Realizing that Ahmed once risked everything for him, Kinley decides that he cannot leave his former interpreter behind.

He returns to Afghanistan and ventures back into Taliban-controlled territory to find Ahmed and his family. With danger closing in from every direction, Kinley must do the impossible before it is too late. The action war thriller film from director Guy Ritchie is a saga of bravery and desperation behind enemy lines, similar to ‘Mayday.’ Nikolai and Ahmed both risk themselves to help an American who would otherwise struggle to escape enemy territory. On the other hand, Troy Kelly and John Kinley are both men whose missions leave them isolated, forcing them to rely on others to survive.

8. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024)

Brought to life by Guy Ritchie, ‘The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare’ is an action war film based on Damien Lewis’ book ‘Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII.’ Set during World War II, the story follows a covert group assembled under Winston Churchill’s orders for a mission that cannot officially exist. Gustavus Henry March-Phillipps (Henry Cavill), Henry Hayes (Hero Fiennes Tiffin), and their fellow operatives are tasked with disrupting the German U-boat operation based in Fernando Po, a Spanish-controlled territory. With the mission kept deliberately off the books, the men are given little protection should anything go wrong.

Once they reach enemy territory, their carefully devised operation is complicated by the scale of the opposition and the Nazis’ own deceptive tactics. Forced to improvise as their plans begin to unravel, the team relies on unconventional methods to complete an assignment whose success could influence the wider war. Along the lines of ‘Mayday,’ the narrative focuses on a mission where unconventional tactics and unlikely decisions are the norm. The movies delve into the actions of characters who refuse to surrender when circumstances repeatedly shift against them.

7. Land of Bad (2024)

Director William Eubank’s ‘Land of Bad’ is an action thriller film that plunges into the chaos of a covert Special Forces mission in the Philippines. Rookie Air Force officer Kinney (Liam Hemsworth) joins an elite team led by John Sweet (Milo Ventimiglia) and Abell (Luke Hemsworth). They are sent into enemy territory to recover a captured operative and a mysterious asset. The mission quickly collapses when the team is ambushed, leaving Kinney stranded in the middle of a brutal firefight. Air Force drone pilot Reaper (Russell Crowe) becomes Kinney’s crucial link to survival.

The operation turns into a desperate rescue effort, and Kinney refuses to abandon his fellow soldiers despite overwhelming odds. With limited time to turn the disastrous mission around, Kinney and Reaper must work together as the situation escalates into an all-out fight for survival. ‘Mayday’ and ‘Land of Bad’ make survival a complex team effort where sacrifices and tough decisions determine success. Troy has Nikolai beside him, while Kinney has Reaper’s eyes in the sky guiding him through the chaos on the ground.

6. The Hunt for Red October (1990)

Adapted from Tom Clancy’s eponymous novel, ‘The Hunt for Red October’ is a John McTiernan directorial, which introduces Marko Ramius (Sean Connery). He is a Soviet submarine captain who abruptly abandons his assigned mission and takes the highly advanced Red October toward the US. Its revolutionary propulsion system allows the submarine to move almost silently, leaving American officials uncertain about Ramius’ intentions. CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) suspects that his actions may not signal an impending attack but an attempt to defect. With Soviet forces simultaneously ordered to track down and destroy the submarine, Ryan is sent to determine what Ramius really intends before the Americans are forced to respond.

Once the Red October disappears beneath the ocean, tensions rise on both sides, while a member of Ramius’ own crew begins working against him. Ryan must unravel the captain’s true motives before a dangerous misunderstanding turns into an international crisis. The spy thriller film unfolds against Cold War tensions, placing American and Soviet characters in the middle of dangerous missions where trust becomes crucial to survival, much like ‘Mayday’ does through Troy and Nikolai’s journey.

5. Hunter Killer (2018)

Directed by Donovan Marsh, ‘Hunter Killer’ is an action thriller film based on Don Keith and George Wallace’s novel ‘Firing Point.’ When the USS Tampa Bay disappears while operating in the Arctic, submarine captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) is sent to investigate. The Tampa Bay has been destroyed alongside a Russian vessel. After rescuing a Russian captain, Glass learns that the crisis extends far beyond the missing submarines.

A military coup has taken place in Russia, with the defense minister holding President Nikolai Zakarin (Alexander Dyachenko) captive and threatening to trigger a devastating international conflict. As a SEAL team attempts to rescue the Russian president, Glass must navigate hostile water and solve the crisis before it becomes more threatening. ‘Mayday’ and ‘Hunter Killer’ both place American characters inside hostile Russian territory. The geopolitical tensions and the personal struggles of the characters connect the two films on a deeper level.

4. Spies Like Us (1985)

In ‘Spies Like Us,’ Austin Millbarge (Dan Aykroyd) and Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) are two government employees eager to escape their dull careers. After qualifying for the CIA, they are sent into Pakistan before eventually reaching Afghanistan. The inexperienced pair quickly discovers that Soviet forces are pursuing them and that they have been chosen as expendable decoys. Interestingly, Austin and Emmett are intended to draw Soviet attention away from the real operatives carrying out a far more consequential operation.

When the two supposed spies stumble through increasingly dangerous circumstances, they realize that the stakes extend far beyond their own survival. What begins as an escape from ordinary government work ultimately places the unlikely duo at the center of a dangerous Cold War confrontation. John Landis steers this spy comedy film, which puts an American at the center of Cold War chaos, akin to ‘Mayday.’ Troy, Emmett, and Austin are all inexperienced in the situations they are thrown into, forcing them to survive circumstances far beyond their expectations.

3. Firefox (1982)

Based on Craig Thomas’ novel of the same name, ‘Firefox’ centers on Mitchell Gant (Clint Eastwood), a former American Air Force pilot who is recruited to steal the experimental MiG-31, code-named Firefox. It is an advanced fighter capable of extraordinary speed, radar evasion, and weapons control through the pilot’s thoughts. Smuggled into Soviet territory, Gant relies on anti-Soviet dissidents and scientists to infiltrate the facility where the prototype is being developed. After taking control of the Firefox, he must make his way out before the Soviet military can stop him.

His escape becomes increasingly perilous as all hell breaks loose and enemy forces close in. The Soviets eventually deploy another Firefox to hunt Mitchell down, turning his escape into a deadly aerial duel. Crafted under Clint Eastwood’s direction, the action thriller film uses the Cold War setting to narrate a saga of heroism, along the lines of ‘Mayday.’ Troy Kelly and Mitchell Gant are both skilled pilots forced to operate under extreme pressure after ending up behind enemy lines.

2. Air America (1990)

‘Air America’ chronicles the experiences of Billy Covington (Robert Downey Jr.), a pilot whose license is revoked before he unexpectedly lands a job with Air America, a secretive CIA-run airline operating in Laos during the Vietnam War. Billy finds himself transporting everything from supplies to military equipment while working alongside the reckless Gene Ryack (Mel Gibson), a pilot who treats the chaos around them casually. As Billy becomes more familiar with the operation, he discovers that corruption runs through the organization, with even his superiors involved in nefarious activities.

Surrounded by unpredictable pilots, risky missions, and lies, Billy begins asking questions, placing him at odds with the people running the operation. With Roger Spottiswoode in the director’s chair, the action comedy film is an adaptation of Christopher Robbins’ book of the same title. ‘Mayday’ and ‘Air America’ both combine aviation, military intrigue, and dangerous missions, placing pilots in situations that quickly become more complicated than they initially appear. Troy Kelly and Billy Covington are men whose professional skills become their greatest assets when circumstances turn chaotic.

1. Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

Helmed by John Moore, ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ is an action war film that follows Navy pilot Lt. Chris Burnett (Owen Wilson), who finds himself stranded behind enemy lines after a reconnaissance mission over Bosnia goes horribly wrong. Burnett and his friend, Lt. Jeremy Stackhouse (Gabriel Macht), discover evidence of a mass killing. Their aircraft is soon targeted, killing Stackhouse and leaving Burnett alone in hostile territory. Injured, he becomes the target of Gen. Miroslav Lokar (Olek Krupa) and his forces, who are determined to eliminate him before he can expose what he has witnessed. Meanwhile, Burnett’s commanding officer, Rear Admiral Leslie Reigart (Gene Hackman), attempts to organize a rescue.

Burnett moves through war-torn territory, and his survival becomes a race against both the enemy and time. ‘Mayday’ and ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ both strand American pilots in hostile territory after their aircraft are brought down, forcing them to survive dangerous terrain while desperately searching for a way back to safety. The two movies also feature intense action sequences, rough terrains, and seemingly impossible missions.