Paranoia thrillers seem to be making a quiet comeback at the movies, especially in this age of technology and surveillance. There's great dramatic thrills to be had in watching characters live while constantly looking over their shoulders, expecting anything and anyone to foil their plans. If the movie is working, their paranoia becomes the audiences' and it can create an effective - if unsettling - moviegoing experience (the best example recently is 2022's magnificent "Watcher").
David Mackenzie's "Relay" is the latest surveillance thriller set in our modernized and technologically advanced world of today. The movie, which had its premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, is being dumped into theaters with zero fanfare or advertising (it's being released by the smaller distributor Bleecker Street Films) in the last gasp of summer. It's a time when people don't typically flock to the movies because they've spent all their money on the green screen extravaganzas of the previous few months.
It's a shame "Relay" is coming out with such little noise because it's a solid piece of they don't make them like they used to cinema. Mackenzie (director of the excellent 2016 film "Hell or High Water") situates the movie in today's world but doesn't shy from showing his 1970 influences (the fingerprints of Alan J. Pakula are on this movie). It's a low-key film that never really captures a true sense of urgency, but the process of watching the movie unfold is thrilling.
That's exactly what "Relay" is - a good movie about process. Riz Ahmed plays Ash, a professional fixer who brokers deals between whistleblowers and the companies corrupt enough to make their employees whistleblowers. Ash approaches his work with a sterilized sense of professionalism. All his calls are conducted through a relay system, and he never wants to know any more detail than is necessary to get the job done.
His self-imposed code of ethics is thrown into disarray when he receives a call from Sarah (Lily James), who is in possession of documents that could be damning to her company. Sarah thought of all the avenues she could take to exposing her company but was ultimately referred to Ash's services. Ash becomes much more invested in Sarah than he typically does in a client's well-being because it becomes entirely clear Sarah is in danger (Sam Worthington co-stars as the man leading the charge to find Sarah and retrieve the documents back).
"Relay" is at its best when Ash is conducting business over the relay service. The tight editing of these sequences raises the movie's tension considerably because the movie suggests someone may always be listening. After a mishap involving a handoff of documents, Ash is forced to run around New York City (Times Square remains one of the scariest places on this planet), which Mackenzie directs with precision. The movie is less successful when twists start getting introduced, as they feel forced for the sake of raising the stakes of the third act.
There was once an audience for a movie like "Relay," but it will likely play to empty theaters as the summer season comes to an end. It's a strong thriller and a worthy throwback to a type of movie that was once common in the marketplace and worth seeking out for a Saturday night at the movies.
| Movie title | Relay |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2025 |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | This solid paranoia thriller is an entertaining throwback that wears its 70s influences on its sleeve. |
