Relay (2025)

“Relay” stars Riz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington, Willa Fitzgerald, Matthew Maher, Victor Garber, Eisa Davis, and Jared Abrahamson.  Releasing on August 22, 2025, the film has a broker protecting his client from a corrupt corporation.
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The film is directed by David Mackenzie, who also directed films such as “The Last Great Wilderness”, “Asylum”, “Perfect Sense”, “Hell or High Water”, and “Outlaw King”.  We all aspire to have the bravery to confront companies that covertly hide their misconduct.  Yet, these corporations often find ways to silence us, whether through intimidation or something much worse.  Fortunately, all it takes is a single phone call to ensure both the whistleblowers and these companies can leave each other alone.  This concept defines the latest thriller from filmmaker David Mackenzie, which seeks to deliver a throwback to classic paranoia thrillers centered on one of our greatest fears: being stalked.  After its world premiere at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, this film, which appeared on the 2019 “Black List” of unproduced screenplays, aims to deliver some exhilarating late-summer entertainment before we return to college in the fall.  Does it manage to compel audiences to make that call, or are we better off treating it like a spam call?  Let’s find out.
 
The story follows Tom (Ahmed), a discreet fixer who works for the Tri-State relay system, renowned for maintaining client anonymity.  His role involves facilitating transactions between corrupt corporations and his clients, ensuring the latter’s safety through acceptable payoffs.  Tom’s latest client is Sarah Grant (James), a scientist who has absconded with vital documents revealing her company’s negligence regarding a failed experiment.  She is being pursued by a group led by Dawson (Worthington), who has been commissioned by the corporation to recover the stolen documents.  When a deal takes an unexpected turn, Tom is forced to break the relay system’s rules to protect Sarah from harm.

I remembered when I first saw the trailer for “Relay”, which was shown before “Friendship”.  At first glance, it appeared reminiscent of other thrillers from years past, particularly those that explored themes of paranoia.  However, the intriguing concept of a secretive relay system was enough for me to give this a call—no pun intended.  The film also boasts a strong cast of familiar faces, including Riz Ahmed, who has been gaining some love for his recent outings, and Lily James.  It may seem like another low-budget film that would’ve gone straight to streaming instead of in theaters.  But, these two elements had potential in ensuring that the audience, including me, get their money’s worth with their stable connections.  Luckily, I had the opportunity to view it a week early at a mystery movie event, sparing me the frustration of waiting through endless dial tones to see whether the film was worth a good connection.
     
The essential aspect to know about “Relay” is that it is another thriller primarily built on dramatic suspense, rather than relying on an action-packed spectacle.  Although there are moments of violence, the film is more focused on instilling a sense of unease and paranoia in the audience, stemming from the feeling of being watched by someone intent on silencing the truth.  So, if you’re wondering why the film is only rated R primarily for its language, there’s your answer.  I found this approach interesting, given that the movie delves into themes of corruption, highlighting how specific companies often conceal their controversies out of greed and negligence to maintain their operations.  They employ any means necessary, even resorting to silencing the whistleblowers who dare to expose the truth.  The film explores this from the perspective of a whistleblower, specifically through Sarah, whose paranoia of being pursued by the silencers prevents her from revealing the truth.  However, those seeking a relentless thrill ride filled with white-knuckle violence and high-speed chases may not be eager to continue this call.  Nonetheless, I believe that the film should resonate well with fans of suspense thrillers, thanks to its nuanced tension and compelling leading actors.

“Relay” serves as a competent thriller that struggles to consistently maintain interest and suspense throughout its duration.  Despite this, it offered just enough in its filmmaking craft to provide some enjoyment with its straightforward plot.  Reflecting on David Mackenzie’s previous works, the only movie I watched from him before "Relay" was “Hell or High Water” back in 2016.  I haven’t revisited that movie since its theatrical release, but I remember it as a well-directed Western drama that benefited from its commendable cast, even if it didn’t compel me to watch it again.  So, this makes “Relay” my second exposure to Mackenzie’s directorial vision.  His approach to the film’s thrills reminded me why I admired his vision for “Hell or High Water”.  By sidestepping Hollywood’s typical action-thriller antics, Mackenzie employed a more subtle and grounded approach to suspense, effectively evoking the nuanced paranoia of being pursued.  While this method occasionally faltered due to pacing and two-dimensional characters, there were other times when I found myself engaging with the stakes it presented, including the theater sequence.  It’s also visually compelling due to Giles Nuttgens’ cinematography, capturing the expansive and tranquil yet ominous settings with precision.

In short, David Mackenzie has crafted a respectfully directed thriller that captures the paranoia surrounding corporate corruption and suspicion through subtlety and slickness.  However, despite its good intentions, “Relay” didn’t quite elevate its thriller tropes high enough to maintain a stable connection, primarily due to its screenplay.  Justin Piasecki, the film’s screenwriter, had something going with the film’s intriguing social commentary and a dynamic interplay between the two leads, particularly in the first two acts.  Unfortunately, as the movie progressed into the third act, it began to lose the connection it was aiming for by relying more heavily on its genre tropes.  It also had a specific plot twist involving one of the characters that’s supposed to reinvigorate its “mysterious protagonist turned bodyguard” narrative, which may work for some viewers.  Sadly, I was not a fan of how this out-of-left-field twist turned out, as it ultimately proved more frustrating than shocking, given their preceding developments.  The movie was also a bit longer than it needed to be with its nearly two-hour runtime, especially given Mackenzie’s muted approach to building tension.  While the pacing was tolerable enough to maintain my interest, the film would’ve worked better if it were at least ten minutes shorter.

In addition to Mackenzie’s direction, the film was enhanced by its cast, all of whom delivered solid performances to keep me on the line.  Riz Ahmed, who has been on an impressive streak since his Oscar-nominated role in “Sound of Metal”, takes on a new challenge in “Relay”.  This time, he embodies a mysterious action hero in the form of Tom, or in this case, a thriller protagonist.  Although it may not be his finest work, Ahmed did a commendable job portraying Tom as a mostly silent and enigmatic figure grappling with his moral dilemma of doing what is right versus adhering to the rules, all while managing a personal issue that extends beyond his professional life.  Similarly, Lily James delivered an impressively nuanced performance as Sarah Grant, a client for whom Tom risks his anonymity to protect, as her subtlety added to the authentic paranoia her character possessed.  I also find it neat that Sam Worthington continues to diversify his roles beyond the “Avatar” franchise.  In this film, he plays Dawson, the head of a team enlisted by Sarah’s company to recover the classified documents she stole.  It may not showcase Worthington’s acting prowess to its fullest, but it’s commendable enough to admire his determination to establish a reputation beyond his association with James Cameron’s blue-skinned aliens.

Overall, “Relay” establishes a faulty connection that struggles to evoke its thriller vibes, but it transfers enough merits into its subtle suspense to impress fans of the genre.  The film generated considerable interest through its commentary on business corruption and the experiences of whistleblowers, as well as its paranoia-driven thrills.  Unfortunately, Justin Piasecki’s screenplay broke that connection in the third act, regarding its cliches and a frustrating plot twist that undermines its initial setup.  Its pacing and runtime could’ve also used a bit more fine-tuning to make its connection tight and consistent.  But, at the very least, it was suitably crafted under David Mackenzie’s vision, and the cast, mainly Ahmed and James, delivered worthwhile performances to carry its transmission through some rough patches.  While it doesn’t break any new ground in the genre, it’s still an enjoyable thriller that could’ve provided a much stronger connection.  If you’re into slow-burning, subtle thrillers, I would say this call is worth taking.  Otherwise, it might be best to let it go to voicemail.

C+