Relay is a thriller that impresses in moments rather than across the board, but when it hits its stride, boy does it hit it hard. David Mackenzie’s latest outing is at its sharpest when leaning into the cat-and-mouse tension built between Ash (Riz Ahmed), a calculating fixer and a team of corporate enforcers closing in on a whistleblower with a serious case of buyers-remorse, Sarah (Lily James). In these sequences, the film crackles with paranoia and suspense, offering glimpses into a taut and gripping world filled with subterfuge, corporate espionage and the constant threat of violence.
What makes Relay intriguing is its ambition. Rising above a standard chase film; Mackenzie builds a world of shadowy intermediaries, blurred moral lines, and a constant undercurrent of unease. There’s an almost clinical precision to Ahmed’s performance, as he balances charm with menace, making his character simultaneously magnetic and unsettling. It’s here that the film feels most alive, asking questions about loyalty, power, and the costs of survival.
A truly compelling plot device is Ash’s reliance on the relay service, a telecommunications tool designed for privacy, which becomes central in both the story and building of tension. Watching Ahmed’s character type out messages while others relay them aloud not only adds a layer of ingenuity to the thriller mechanics, it also emphasizes his isolation — a man navigating a dangerous world from a semi-hidden vantage point. Coupled with his mix of low- and high-tech spy tools, these gadgets make the cat-and-mouse sequences feel precise, clever, and uniquely his own. Yet, despite this unique premise, Relay doesn’t fully sustain its momentum. The pacing falters in places, as if the story is circling its own tension rather than earnestly pushing forward. It’s never dull, but the sharp edge seen in its strongest scenes (which are incredibly memorable) blunts too often, leaving certain stretches feeling less urgent than they should.
The casting choices do a lot to keep the film engaging. Riz Ahmed delivers exactly the layered intensity one expects with barely any dialogue for the first two thirds of the film. Lily James anchors the narrative with quiet resolve. And Sam Worthington, in one of the film’s most inspired castings, brings a grounded toughness that fits perfectly within Mackenzie’s New York.
Ultimately, Relay is a film of flashes — many of them brilliant. Not quite more than the sum of its parts, its cerebral, tension-driven approach gives way to more conventional chase and fight sequences. While these moments are entertaining, they feel slightly at odds with the measured suspense that defines the first half of the film, making the resolution less nuanced as the thriller’s intelligence edges toward spectacle. What lingers, however, are the sequences where the film truly soars: Ahmed’s piercing looks, sudden shifts in power, and the gnawing sense of being trapped in a system where the world is most definitely out to get you.
