Relay (2025) is directed by David Mackenzie and written by Justin Piasecki. It stars Riz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington, Willa Fitzgerald, Jared Abrahamson, Matthew Maher, Eisa Davis, Victor Garber, Pun Bandhu, Seth Barrish, Jamil Haque, Jamie Ann Burke, and Lou Liberatore. The film follows Ash (Ahmed), a NYC-based mediator of payoffs between corrupt corporations and the would-be whistleblowers who just want the situation to go away. When Sarah (James), a corporate employee, uncovers evidence of a cover-up, she steals incriminating documents, but quickly begins to regret her decision. Facing harassment from corporate goons (Worthington, Fitzgerald, Abrahamson), Sarah seeks out Ash for help. As the two communicate via a relay service, a romantic connection begins to blossom, ultimately putting both of their lives in danger. 

Riz Ahmed and Lily James both give strong lead performances. Ahmed is a master of communicating through his body language/facial expressions, effectively conveying his character’s crippling paranoia, eliminating the need for the script to tell us outright that this is the case. Ash ends up being a wonderfully complex character whose experiences highlight the tragic, contagious nature of paranoia. Growing up as a Muslim right after 9/11, he quickly became a victim of America’s paranoia, causing him to develop his own. This even results in an interesting sequence in which he stalks his love interest. This could’ve been far more creepy if he did it to feed his romantic obsession, but he actually does it because he quite simply doesn’t trust her. His paranoia makes him lonely, but also makes it nearly impossible for him to get close to someone. 

The connection between Ash and Sarah works in terms of the two feeling like strong romantic foils for one another. Sarah’s almost random willingness to form a romantic bond with someone she’s never seen or heard is a tad confusing, but certain third-act plot developments make it clear that it seemed odd for a reason. James nails the subtlety of her character’s suspicious behavior, resulting in one of those third-act reveals that you can’t believe you didn’t predict.

We’ve seen this kind of ‘specialist whose sanctity is threatened by a newfound love interest’ film before, but Relay finds a unique identity through its ‘payoff mediator’ angle, which takes heavy inspiration from Cold War paranoia thrillers of the 1960s and 70s. In today’s context, this approach is arguably more relevant than ever before. I could’ve used without Ash’s use of sometimes silly disguises that break the film’s otherwise dead-serious tone, but there’s a certain charm to seeing Ash playing master of disguise in the background of various shots. 

The story takes a turn in the third act that’s admittedly fun, but undermines the rest of the film’s hyper-realistic approach. It results in the movie feeling a lot more disposable than its themes initially promise, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still satisfying, just in a more empty-calorie kind of way. It’s delicious, but not very nutritious. Thankfully, the film is well-shot and features a satisfying dichotomy between the world’s hidden evil and the secret heroes who work to balance the scales of right and wrong. 

Overall, this is a fun and unique, but admittedly niche throwback to classic paranoia cinema. Some elements work better than others, but very few fall flat. It’s tense, unpredictable, relevant, and led by a compelling protagonist. On top of all that, it also features one of the more atypical approaches to romance in recent memory. It becomes somewhat formulaic in the final act, but it remains entertaining nonetheless. If you like the cast or can appreciate its throwback charm, definitely check this one out. B