Relay is a modern take on the subtle thrillers popular in the 1970s. The film, written by debut feature writer Justin Piasecki, follows Ash (Riz Ahmed), a discreet intermediary who protects whistleblowers from powerful corporations trying to cover up wrongdoing. This time, the whistleblower is Sarah (Lily James), a former employee of a bioengineering firm who discovers damaging documents about the company’s upcoming product. Instead of publicly revealing the information, Sarah wants to quietly return the documents in exchange for her safety, and that’s where Ash’s skills come into play.
Ash never meets his clients in person. Instead, he uses ‘Relay,’ a phone system designed for people with hearing impairments. Relay employees read aloud typed messages, allowing conversation while maintaining strict confidentiality under state secrecy laws. Unlike typical modern thrillers, there are no fancy gadgets; Ash works with what appears to be an early electronic typewriter connected to a mobile phone, further concealing his identity. However, a secretly funded group is pursuing Sarah, and consequently Ash, led by Sam Worthington. For the first half of the movie, Ash consistently manages to outwit them using his clever methods.
Ahmed delivers a strong, understated performance, conveying much through subtle actions rather than dialogue, especially in the first act. His character’s history is gradually and believably unveiled through brief scenes depicting AA meetings.
The film features some well-done set pieces, including scenes at an airport and a concert hall – the latter clearly inspired by Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (and also reminiscent of Mission: Impossible – Fallout). However, these intriguing plot setups ultimately lead to a fairly standard action-packed climax, sacrificing the cleverness established earlier for a predictable shootout.
Don’t be discouraged by that – this is a rare and captivating modern thriller that’s both intelligent and understated.
Here’s the Relay trailer…..
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2025-10-29 13:23