Relay (2025) Review: A Sharp Premise Undone By Shortcuts

This Relay review starts with a simple question: what if the person who keeps secrets for the powerful decided to care? David Mackenzie's 2025 thriller follows a go-between whose whole career depends on staying detached. It is a tidy, tense premise, and it mostly pays off.

Relay Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Relay plot centers on Ash (Riz Ahmed), a broker who negotiates lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the people who threaten to expose them. His business runs on anonymity. The tagline spells out the rules: no callers are identified, no conversations are recorded, and no phone records are kept.

Things change when a new client comes to him not for money but for protection, because she needs to stay alive. Ash has built his career on never getting involved. Helping her means breaking the rules that have kept him safe, and the people he normally works for will not be pleased.

That setup is the film's best asset. It gives a thriller a clear engine and a hero who has to work against his own habits.

What Works in Relay

The central idea feels fresh. Rather than a standard chase, the film is about information, trust and the thin line between a neutral middleman and an accomplice. Mackenzie keeps the mood tight and the atmosphere immersive.

• A strong concept: the anonymous-broker angle gives the action a different texture from typical genre fare.

• Controlled tension: the film is happy to let quiet, cautious moments build pressure.

• A lean runtime: at 112 minutes, it rarely overstays its welcome.

Fans of action movie reviews who like their set pieces grounded and their stakes personal will find plenty to enjoy here.

Relay Cast and Performances

The Relay cast is led by Riz Ahmed as Ash, and he is excellent at understated, guarded characters. He makes a man who hides behind rules feel believable, and you can read the doubt in small gestures rather than speeches.

Lily James plays Sarah, the client whose arrival upends Ash's routine. She brings real emotional intensity to the role. Sam Worthington, as Dawson, adds a credible sense of threat.

The supporting players round out the world well:

• Willa Fitzgerald as Rosetti

• Eisa Davis as Wash

• Matthew Maher as Hoffman

Where Relay Stumbles

The film's ambition outpaces its execution. The first two acts build patiently, but the final stretch leans on convenient narrative shortcuts that weaken the tension the film has worked to create. A less forced finish could have made this one of the year's sharper thrillers.

The film also asks for a fair amount of trust in how its world works. Some turns feel more like plot necessities than natural consequences of the characters' choices. It is competent, but at times frustrating, because the better film is visible just beneath the surface.

Its modest worldwide gross of about $4.1 million suggests it did not find a big theatrical audience, which is a shame for a thriller this carefully made.

Is Relay Worth Watching?

Yes, Relay is worth watching if you enjoy smart, character-driven thrillers and strong lead performances. The premise is clever, the cast is committed, and Mackenzie keeps things moving at a steady, confident pace.

Just go in expecting a good film rather than a great one. Its flaws mostly show up late, and they do not erase what came before. Audiences on TMDB gave it a respectable 7 out of 10, which matches our view.

If you want more in this vein, browse our drama movie reviews. For background on the production, the Relay page on IMDb lists full credits.

Who Will Enjoy Relay

• Viewers who like grounded, conversation-driven thrillers over big explosions.

• Fans of Riz Ahmed's quiet, tightly wound screen presence.

• Anyone drawn to stories about corporate corruption and morally gray fixers.