After seeing Director David Mackenzie's most recent outing, Relay, he's just one of my guys now and will be seated for whatever he's got next. I already had partial season tickets after Hell or Highwater, which is one of the prestige dude's rock heist movies of the 21st century, but man, does Mackenzie know how to scratch that movie itch I crave. Relay, starring Riz Ahmed, is a tight and sharp paranoid thriller that feels right out of the 1970s Pakula era of cinema. Ahmed brings a strong presence and power to this isolating performance, and the level of control he exhibits, along with the direction, is stunning. This is excellent popcorn entertainment that might not blow anyone's mind away. Still, it's a solid film with suspense, a sprinkle of romance, and self-reflection that audiences will come to appreciate.
Taking place in New York City, Ash (Riz Ahmed) has dedicated his life to being a fixer. He helps whistleblowers from major companies, which seem mostly pharmaceutical or chemical, and provides them with protection and compensation for their secrets. Ash meets a new client, Sarah (Lily James), who was part of the company's genetic-altering plant program but discovered that the company was going to release a wheat strain with horrible side effects on the public. Ash agrees to help them but is going up against the company's muscle, which is led by Dawson (Sam Worthington), who will do anything by any means necessary to recover that study and keep Sarah quiet.
Riz Ahmed is a truly exceptional talent. The way he conveys such pathos with every look is breathtaking to behold. His performance in Relay is another example of how he can take a part that could have been easily reduced to generic action schlock and make it clear that the level of care is apparent. As his character Ash, you can sense the conflict brewing within him, whether it's his sobriety or his work. He's giving almost a Michael Mann protagonist performance here as a man with a discipline and a code that he must abide by, and constantly fighting against that. His dynamic with Lily James is lovely and cute, and I think her level of danger and desperation can be felt on screen. Sam Worthington is consistently solid and underrated at this point. For this essentially no-name baddie role, he brings his own presence and charisma that's intimidating and feels worthy of going toe to toe with Riz Ahmed's Ash, who's always two steps ahead. The goons that Worthington assembles to make up his crew are a laugh too, as they all seem distinct and perfect for this type of thriller.
Mackenzie brings a level of detail and care that I appreciate. It's the same as Hell or Highwater, but grounding the story with what feels like fundamental ways for Ahmed's character to continually doop and trick the intimidation squad is wildly entertaining. I will not spoil the way Ahmed communicates with everyone in the film, as that feels like a central plot point that all should experience, as it is the central way the film builds its tension and moves forward. However, it worked for me, and I found it super clever! The writing here is so sharp, and the text-to-word communication that Ahmed and James have with each other feels like their relationship develops organically. Mackenzie keeps the paranoia and tension up with this, having you and the audience look around and dissect each frame to see what mysterious van, camera, or shady person might be lurking around each corner. The film devolves into generic action by the end, which felt less earned, given the rest of the film's slickness, but seemed like a fitting finale with solid twists.
The two films that come to mind when thinking about Relay are The Insider and Michael Clayton, both five-star films. The level of guilt felt by the protagonists and the paranoid atmosphere these companies can create for the ordinary person is pulse-pounding. It would be very cool if Mackenzie pulled a Soderbergh and gave us one of these genre films a year, but in the meantime, I had a blast with Relay. A sly thriller that delves deeper into the human psyche than many would think, but delivers a solid time at the theater, with Riz Ahmed crushing as per usual.
Final Score: 7.5/10
Written by Kevin J. Pettit
Author’s Note: As someone who worked as a paralegal for several years, who worked on cases where our firm sued major companies for large sums for allegedly giving our clients cancer, these types of stories scare the hell out of me and are more true than you think!
Good to hear this is worth the watch! I was intrigued by the premise but haven't seen any promo for it
AMC hasnt promoted this movie at ALL, it sucks bc it looks decent