Relay (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – A broker of lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten them breaks his own rules when a new client seeks his protection to stay alive.

My Take – Who doesn’t enjoy a good whistleblower drama? Intense and emotionally draining stories of proverbial insiders who, despite being hopelessly outgunned and out-lawyered, decide to risk everything just to do the right thing by speaking out and revealing the dark deeds of the corporate-controlled world.

While the sub-genre, once upon a time, used to attract A-list stars and produced the likes of The Insider (1999), Erin Brockovich (2000) and Michael Clayton (2007), at the turn of the millennium, such projects have become fewer and fewer.

Hopefully, things might change with the arrival of this latest from director David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water, Outlaw King) who has crafted a thriller that feels both modern and retro at the same time.

But also because writer Justin Piasecki‘s script offers a refreshing new take by creating a new spin on the genre with its very unique approach to the premise: the employment of the relay telephone system. A means of communication that allows people with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate with standard telephone users through a communication assistant. And anchored by yet another versatile performance from Riz Ahmed, the resulting feature is a genuinely entertaining experience.

Though it is structured as a classic thriller, where the protagonist moves in disguise, speaks little, and the narrative keeps most of the story shrouded in mystery, the framing device allows for some very intriguing and sharply-edited scenes which help to imbue a ton of tension and makes for a great approach to the character dynamics at play.

Yes, it does stumble a bit with its twisty nature towards the end, but it also manage to keep you completely invested in its slow-burning, tense, and unsettling thrill ride. With its restrained style and echoes of 70s paranoia cinema, the narrative elevates from being a standard-issue thriller to something memorable.

The story follows Ash (Riz Ahmed), a New York-based fixer who works in the shadows. A middleman with a very specialized clientele: He helps regretful company defectors flirting with going to the press or authorities safely walk back their plans, facilitating the return of sensitive documents in exchange for an end to the intimidation tactics their powerful employers deploy.

Ash does all this using methods that maintain his anonymity: a messaging relay service that helps people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech issues to communicate; the United States postal office, which despite its frustrated bureaucracy holds user data close; and by only using cash and burner phones. It’s a protocol that has worked out well for him, that is until he encounters Sarah Grant (Lily James).

A former biotech employee looking to unload the incriminating evidence that got her relocated, sacked, and then harassed. What’d she uncover? Namely, proof that the new insect-resistant crop her company was developing could have dire medical side effects for consumers. But now she seeks Ash’s help—not to expose the corporation, but to make amends and regain some normalcy in her life.

Ash takes on the task, and what follows is a tense game of strategy and survival as corporate enforcers, Dawson (Sam Worthington), Rosetti (Willa Fitzgerald) and their team, close in. Amid betrayals, hidden motives, and high-stakes confrontations, Ash must face his own moral code and the consequences of living in the shadows.

It works best when the narrative is restrained. This is not a film where the fixer pulls out a gun and storms a room; it is a film where silence, negotiation, and psychology become the weapons of choice. There’s a great early scene at the airport — where Tom uses PA announcements to outwit and evade the pursuers, and eventually has Sarah mail two packages (one containing the proof of misdeeds) to different far-flung locations, creating a kind of postal two-card monte.

The screenplay is gripping so long as it’s just observing Tom on the move and using his chiefly analog systems like telephones, the mail, and goofy disguises to flummox more technologically advanced adversaries, and keep his client out of the crosshairs.

Often Ash, a brown man in a post-9/11 New York, hides in plain sight, dressed casually as a delivery worker or jogger running through the city. He rarely interacts with people, except to attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings or visit his fake ID guy. That minimalism makes the moments of confrontation land strongly.

While it’s nice to see a vulnerable side of Ash, it also reveals the weakness of the script. As Ash gets closer to Sarah, Justin Piasecki’s screenplay edges into a kind of implausible and overly sentimental arena. Part of the trouble stems from pacing — his relationship to Sarah doesn’t have much time to develop. The clip of this burgeoning friendship not only tips off some of the film’s twists, but it also disappointingly forecloses more interesting narrative directions.

Nevertheless, the journey to that point is engaging and well-crafted. Its balance of character depth and thrilling action ensures that it appeals to both fans of classic suspense and contemporary thrillers, making it a standout in its genre.

Performance wise, Riz Ahmed once again proves why he is one of the most compelling actors working today. He perfectly embodies a character who thrives in the shadows. His ability to hold a scene with just a glance or a pause is perfectly suited for this role. Lily James complements him well as a woman caught between courage and fear. She brings a controlled and nuanced turn by stepping away from her usual screen persona to show vulnerability and determination.

Sam Worthington seems to be having a ball hamming it up and really committing to the thriller antagonist vibe. In supporting roles, Willa Fitzgerald, Eisa Davis, Jared Abrahamson and Victor Garber are decent enough. On the whole, ‘Relay‘ is a suspenseful slow-burn paranoid thriller that delivers a mostly clever twisty ride.