Sometimes you just want a good old fashioned thriller. Not a superhero saving the multiverse, not a spy parachuting into an exploding helicopter, but something tense, grounded, and full of paranoia. Relay, directed by David Mackenzie, is exactly that, and for the first fifty minutes I was in pure cinematic heaven. The film crackles with the energy of a 70s paranoid classic, something out of the Alan Pakula or Sidney Lumet playbook, and yes I nearly wept with joy at the idea that films like this can still exist in 2025.
Riz Ahmed is our anchor here, playing Tom, a world class fixer who has mastered the art of secrecy through a relay system that feels both retro and cutting edge at the same time. No caller IDs, no recordings, no trace. It is a brilliant concept and Mackenzie milks it for every ounce of suspense. The first act is so tight it almost hums, and I have to say it was only fitting that I was wearing a Michael Mann t-shirt to the screening, because this film wears its Mann and 70s influences proudly on its sleeve.
Ahmed, as always, is magnetic. I have said for years he is one of the most underutilized actors working today, and Relay proves my point. Like Matt Damon shocking audiences in The Bourne Identity, this feels like a breakout action-thriller role for Ahmed. He plays Tom with 120 percent conviction, bringing cool precision but also a haunted vulnerability. I could watch him read instructions for IKEA furniture and still be riveted. Lily James and Sam Worthington also deliver in spades, elevating what could have been standard supporting roles into something memorable.
One of the things I loved most is how ordinary the world of Relay feels. Post offices, public buses, hole in the wall diners, and cheap hotels become the backdrop for high stakes intrigue. It makes the film feel alive and textured, a thriller not just about secrets and betrayals but about the everyday people caught in the blast radius of corporate corruption. The way Mackenzie stages his set pieces inside these mundane spaces adds so much weight and novelty. The film feels both larger than life and grounded in a recognizable America. The film does not rush. It breathes. And in those pauses, the tension somehow thickens.
That said, I would be lying if I did not admit the third act stumbles a little. For two thirds of the film, I was convinced I was watching a four star masterpiece. Then some sloppiness crept in, the twists felt a touch too familiar, and the landing was not as smooth as the takeoff. It is not a crash, more like a slightly bumpy touchdown on an otherwise great flight.
Still, I was enthralled. The relay system sequences are some of the most clever and nerve wracking I have seen in recent thrillers. The cinematography gives everything a haunting, lived in glow. The writing has just enough bite without ever tipping into heavy handed commentary. And most importantly, the film treats its audience with respect. It trusts us to connect the dots, to sit in the uncertainty, and to be thrilled by anticipation instead of cheap jump scares.
Relay may not be flawless, but it is the kind of film I want to champion. A smaller, modestly scaled thriller that knows its genre, respects its roots, and gives us one of Riz Ahmed’s best performances to date. If you, like me, crave a paranoid, stylish, tightly wound thriller in the vein of 70s classics and 90s spy flicks, put Relay on your list. Just remember, no records are kept, no traces are left, and once you are finished watching, all you can really say is: go ahead.
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