Relay
Riz Ahmed stars as fixer and bribe broker Ash, facilitating deals between whistle-blowers and the corrupt companies they used to work for. He is methodical, experienced and clinical in his work, able to avoid tracking by communicating with his clients through the use of a relay service, a free system that helps people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech impairment communicate over the phone. His latest client in need is Sarah (Lily James), a food industry employee now being harassed by her former employer’s security detail due to possessing highly classified documents that prove foul play. Ash must use all his skills and cunning to outwit these adversaries, even putting his own safety on the line to get the deal done.
The use of a relay service as the main form of communication between characters in this movie is a creative concept from writer Justin Piasecki, and turns and similarities to Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal into something more unique. Most viewers will understandably be completely unaware that such a service exists, and Piasecki uses this to the movie’s advantage and our benefit. We find ourselves in the same shoes as Sarah, helpless and boxed in, waiting for the next call from Ash with instructions on what to do next. Both leads make this steady back and forth easy to digest alongside brief moments of action as documents are exchanged in Times Square and an ongoing game of cat and mouse with bad guy Sam Worthington unravels.
Small-scale movies often have their limitations, but Relay is a slick and well-executed thriller. Director David Mackenzie does well to build relationships and depth to the characters despite having to shoot a majority of the conversations taking place down a phone line. It doesn’t go out intending to be flashy but instead utilises the quiet yet convincing Ahmed to create an engaging drama in the realistic New York environment. The actor again shows how talented he is, barely even speaking, yet effortlessly commanding every scene.
The movie stumbles when Ash’s orchestrated plan is blown open by a cunning twist that opens the door to the final chapter. What follows is a rather chaotic foot chase with mindless stray gunshots whose ringing shatters the illusion of realism created in the first two acts. While the feature never drags, it has the feel of an enticing six-part television series, and you can’t help but wonder if the story might be better served that way. There is a subplot involving Ash attending AA meetings that is never fully explored and could have benefited from more time, but nonetheless, Relay is a gripping serving of espionage, suspense and gameplay that is definitely worth picking up the phone for.
Guy Lambert
Relay is released nationwide on 31st October 2025.
Watch the trailer for Relay here:
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