Get ready for a riveting ride: Relay is the newest high-stakes thriller from Bleecker Street, directed by David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water, Starred Up), featuring powerhouse performances by Riz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington, and Willa Fitzgerald. After premiering at Toronto ’24 and Tribeca ’25, it hits theaters August 22 — and this one’s not to miss.
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🔐 Plot & Premise
Ash (Riz Ahmed) is a reclusive “fixer”—a clandestine broker facilitating hush-money exchanges between whistleblowers and corporations, using anonymizing relay services. When Sarah (Lily James), a biotech researcher exposing a toxic chemical cover-up, becomes his boldest client yet, what starts as a routine transfer escalates into a life-threatening covert chase. Sam Worthington plays the corporate enforcer Dawson, backed by Willa Fitzgerald as Rosetti.
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🎬 Direction & Style
Atmospheric, Old‑School Espionage
Mackenzie infuses the film with the urgency of ’70s conspiracy classics (The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor) and the moral weight of Michael Clayton, all distilled into a minimalist, street-level New York landscape.
Realism in Rhythm
The camera lingers on subway platforms, back-alley drop-offs, and nondescript payphones—eschewing glamor for grit and tension born from everyday spaces.
Tech as Tension
The New York Relay service—a legitimate tool for callers with disabilities—is repurposed here to create suspense and anonymity, underscoring Ash’s silent control.
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👏 Standout Performances
Riz Ahmed
Incredibly, Ash doesn’t speak for the first 30 minutes—but his stare, small tics, and posture convey a man carrying secrets, scars, and stealth. It’s a masterclass in tension without dialogue.
Lily James
As Sarah Grant, she matches that restrained intensity with raw emotion—fear, determination, vulnerability—via proxy phone calls and relay messages. Critics praise their chemistry even without a shared scene.
Sam Worthington & Willa Fitzgerald
Worthington’s corporate muscle is imposing and calculated, his silent pursuit making everyday spaces feel lethal. Fitzgerald’s Rosetti brings icy menace and edge as his enforcer.
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🧩 Highlights & Critic Insights
Edge-of-Your-Seat Thrills
Entertainment Weekly notes Ahmed’s early silence doesn’t hurt suspense—he calls it an “edge-of-your-seat thrill ride” .
Taut & Atmospheric
Slant Magazine singles out the film’s “ultramodern New York milieu” and “ground‑level chaos” as powerful atmospheric devices .
Third-Act Reservations
Some reviews mention a late twist that feels less earned—too conventional compared to the film’s early precision .
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🎥 Watch the Highlight
This clip breaks down what works—and what slightly falters—in Relay's unfolding tension.
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🗓️ Release & Reception
Toronto ’24 Premiere, Tribeca ’25 Screening
Theatrical Release: Limited August 22, 2025
Rotten Tomatoes: ~81% fresh—critics love the suspense, city feel, and performances, despite noting some narrative rough spots
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📝 Final Take
Relay is a meticulously crafted thriller—silently driven by nuanced performances, atmospheric direction, and tight pacing. While it may stumble slightly in the final twist, the grounded tone and moral complexity (the David vs. Goliath of whistleblowers) linger long after the credits roll. For fans of low‑noise tension, analog spycraft, and sharp moral dilemmas, this is one to queue up.
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📅 Mark your calendars for August 22, and prepare to be drawn into a whisper‑quiet world of trust, betrayal, and covert survival.
Curious about the tech? McKenzie’s use of New York Relay (originally a disability service) is inspired—proof that the stuff of silent surveillance and analog espionage can still thrill today.
