relay
Relay, acquired in the U.S. by Bleecker Street, is set primarily in New York City, where Tom, played by Riz Ahmed (who is no stranger to the thriller genre), works as a "handler." He operates as a private intermediary between clients—often whistleblowers—and the corrupt corporations they’re trying to escape. In this corporate espionage drama, Sarah, played by Lily James, reaches out to Tom after growing concerned for her safety due to unresolved issues with her former employer. Tom, who usually maintains strict anonymity through a secure relay system, becomes personally entangled with Sarah, setting off a chain of events that aren’t quite what they seem.
Relay, written by Justin Piasecki and directed by David Mackenzie, pulls from an older, more traditional school of crisis storytelling. Mackenzie, best known for Hell or High Water, brings a similarly grounded tension to this film—one that favors emotional restraint over spectacle. The danger feels human and plausible, not explosive or stylized like a John Wick or Mission: Impossible film. Think burner phones, untraceable addresses, and watching someone from a rooftop. It felt like the good old days. In the first quarter of the film, Tom is seen but not heard, giving us a slow, deliberate glimpse into the calculated quiet of his daily life. As the story progresses, we learn that he’s not just solving others’ problems—he’s wrestling with personal demons that mirror theirs. Maybe he keeps doing this work because he couldn’t fix his own past. Or maybe because no one ever came to fix it for him.
The film takes a restrained approach to the crime thriller format, and for much of the first half, it works. Tom is shown managing trauma and addiction while trying to protect others. But the narrative takes a turn when someone as careful and observant as him is manipulated. Should it have been that easy to deceive someone who built a life around staying ten steps ahead? Or is that the point? He is a flawed man living in near-total isolation, and the smallest gesture of connection—especially when he’s emotionally vulnerable—might be enough to throw him off balance.
The cinematography doesn’t call attention to itself, which suits the tone. It’s not meant to be visually dazzling, and it doesn't need to be. The camera work serves the story—quiet, functional, and grounded—just like Tom.
Despite some of these lingering questions, Relay is an entertaining watch, especially if you're nostalgic for the mood and pacing of 90s thrillers. No big bells and whistles, just a focused film about a man who begins in silence and ends up revealing himself—trying to make things right not only for others, but maybe for himself too.
3.5/5 STARS
