When Karen Cinorre’s Mayday first hit the scene at the Sundance Film Festival, people didn't really know what to make of it. Was it a feminist fever dream? A gritty war flick? A submarine thriller? Honestly, it’s a bit of everything. But the real reason this indie project keeps popping up in streaming queues isn't just the weird, Sucker Punch-meets-Lord of the Flies vibe. It’s the actors. The cast of Mayday 2021 film is a bizarrely perfect mix of "I know that face from that one Netflix show" and genuine indie royalty.
You’ve got a protagonist who spent years in a cult (on screen, anyway), a literal world-famous model, and a villain who usually plays the most lovable guy in the room. It’s a weird group. But in a movie where young women are lured into a dreamlike alternate reality to fight an endless war against men, "weird" is exactly what you need.
Grace Van Patten is the Heart of the Storm
If you’re wondering why Ana, the lead, looks so familiar, you’ve probably seen her in Nine Perfect Strangers. Grace Van Patten plays Ana with this sort of quiet, simmering desperation. In the "real world" prologue of the film, she's a struggling server at a wedding venue. It’s bleak. Then, through a series of surreal events involving a broken oven and a bathroom stall, she’s transported to a coastline where the war never ends.
Van Patten is actually acting royalty in a way—she’s the niece of Joyce Van Patten and the daughter of director Timothy Van Patten. But she doesn't play it like a "nepotism baby." She’s raw. In Mayday, she has to transition from a victim of circumstance to a literal sharpshooter. It’s a heavy lift. Her performance is the anchor. Without her groundedness, the movie would probably float away into total nonsense.
Mia Goth: The Queen of Creepy Indie Cinema
Then there’s Marsha. Oh, Marsha. If you follow horror or A24-style films, Mia Goth is a household name at this point. Pearl, X, Suspiria—she’s the go-to for characters who are just a little bit "off."
In the cast of Mayday 2021 film, Goth plays the leader of the girl gang. She’s the one who teaches Ana how to use a rifle and how to lure pilots to their deaths using radio signals. Goth has this incredible ability to look like a porcelain doll one second and a total predator the next. Her voice is high-pitched and almost childlike, which makes the things she says—like "Men are the reason for everything bad"—sound even more chilling.
She’s the ideological engine of the movie. While Ana wants to understand the world, Marsha just wants to burn it down. It's a dynamic that feels very 2021, honestly. Goth’s presence alone gives the film a pedigree it might not have had otherwise. You don't cast Mia Goth if you want a boring, standard action movie.
🔗 Read more: Anjelica Huston in The Addams Family: What You Didn't Know About Morticia
The Rest of the Crew: Soko and Havana Rose Liu
The squad is rounded out by Gertrude and Bea.
Soko (the French singer and actress) plays Gertrude. Soko has this incredible, lived-in energy. She’s been in the industry for years, both in music and film (you might remember her from Her or The Dancer). In Mayday, she provides a bit of the emotional glue. She isn't as radical as Marsha, but she isn't as hesitant as Ana.
Then you have Havana Rose Liu as Bea. This was one of Liu's earlier big roles before she blew up in the thriller No Exit. She’s a former model, and she brings a certain grace to the screen that contrasts with the muddy, bloody reality of their beach-front war. Seeing her here, it’s easy to see why she’s become a "one to watch" in Hollywood.
Juliette Lewis and the Mystery of the "Real World"
It wouldn't be a cult-classic-in-the-making without a cameo from an icon. Juliette Lewis shows up briefly as June.
Lewis is great because she can do "fringe of society" better than anyone. Her role is small but pivotal. She represents the life Ana is leaving behind—or perhaps the woman Ana could become if she stays in the "real" world. It’s a meta bit of casting. Lewis has spent her career playing rebels, so seeing her as a sort of mentor/warning figure for Van Patten feels right.
Why the Male Cast Matters (Even if They’re the "Enemy")
The movie’s premise relies on the girls fighting "The Shore." For most of the film, men are just voices on a radio or distant figures in the sights of a sniper rifle. But there are a few key appearances.
💡 You might also like: Isaiah Washington Movies and Shows: Why the Star Still Matters
- The Groom: Played by Théodore Pellerin. He's the catalyst in the opening scenes. Pellerin is a fantastic French-Canadian actor who you might recognize from On Becoming a God in Central Florida. He has this intense, nervous energy that sets the tone for the film’s tension.
- The Pilots: Various young men who fall victim to the girls' siren songs. They aren't characterized as "evil" in a cartoonish way, which makes the film more complex. They’re just boys caught in a different side of the same trap.
Juliette Lewis and the Power of the "Wait, is that...?"
The cast of Mayday 2021 film works because it feels like a group of people who don't belong together. You have a French indie pop star, a horror icon, a rising TV star, and a legendary 90s rebel.
It’s intentional.
The film is about a world that is "stitched together" from pieces of other things. The costumes look like vintage military gear mixed with 1940s dresses. The setting is a beach that looks like the Mediterranean but feels like the North Atlantic. Having a cast with such different backgrounds and acting styles mirrors that disjointed feeling.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Performances
A lot of critics complained that the acting felt "stilted" or "theatrical."
That’s the point.
They aren't playing "real" people in the middle of the movie. They are playing archetypes. They are playing the versions of themselves they wish they could be in a world where they have all the power. If Marsha (Mia Goth) feels like she’s performing, it’s because the character is performing. She’s created a persona to survive. When you watch the cast of Mayday 2021 film, you have to look for those cracks in the armor. Ana is the only one who feels "real," and that’s why she’s our window into the story.
📖 Related: Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett: Why Fans Are Still Divided Over the Daimyo of Tatooine
The Cinematography and the Cast
You can't talk about the actors without the lens they’re viewed through. Sam Levy, who shot Lady Bird, did the cinematography here. He captures the cast in these wide, lonely shots that make them look like tiny soldiers in a giant, uncaring world. The way he lights Mia Goth—often from below or in harsh sunlight—accentuates her otherworldly features. It’s a collaborative effort between the face and the light.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re planning to watch Mayday (or re-watch it for the cast), here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Prologue Closely: Every actor you see in the opening wedding scene appears later in the "war world" in a different capacity. It’s like The Wizard of Oz. Pay attention to the groom and the kitchen staff.
- Track the Accents: Mia Goth uses a very specific, almost mid-atlantic accent that isn't her natural British one. It adds to the "dream" quality.
- Follow the Career Trajectories: Look at where these actresses went after 2021. Grace Van Patten became a Hulu darling. Havana Rose Liu became a thriller lead. Mia Goth became the face of modern horror. Mayday was a massive "scouting ground" for talent.
Where to Find Them Next
If you liked this specific cast of Mayday 2021 film, you should check out these follow-up projects:
- Grace Van Patten: Tell Me Lies (Hulu) — She leans more into the drama and toxicity she touched on in Mayday.
- Mia Goth: MaXXXine — The conclusion of her Ti West trilogy.
- Havana Rose Liu: Bottoms — She shows off her comedy chops here, which is a total 180 from the grim world of Mayday.
- Soko: State of the Union — Shows her incredible range in a more dialogue-heavy setting.
The film might be polarizing, and the plot might be a bit "out there" for some, but you can't deny the talent on screen. It’s a snapshot of a very specific moment in indie film where these specific stars aligned. Whether you see it as a masterpiece or a mess, the performances are what stay with you long after the credits roll.
To dig deeper into the world of indie cinema, your best bet is to follow the production companies like Tango Entertainment or Sundance Institute alumni. They tend to recycle these talented performers in new, experimental ways that keep the "weird" alive in Hollywood. Checking out the film's official press kits from its 2021 debut can also give you some cool behind-the-scenes context on how this group of women bonded during the grueling shoot in Croatia.