Relay (2025)

[Cremildo]

We’re not quite done yet with the EFM packages: a nice one has come together at the eleventh hour as Oscar winner Riz Ahmed and Baby Driver star Lily James have been set to lead thriller Relay for director David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water).

Pic is being produced by Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk (John Wick franchise), Sigma’s Gillian Berrie (Outlaw King) and Mackenzie, and Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman (The Imitation Game).

In Relay, Sound Of Metal and Venom star Ahmed will play Tom, a world class “fixer” who specializes in brokering lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten their ruin. He keeps his identity a secret through meticulous planning and always follows an exacting set of rules. But when a message arrives one day from potential client Sarah (James), needing Tom’s protection just to stay alive, the rules quickly start to change.

Script comes from Justin Piasecki and Mackenzie. Filming is due to start in New York and New Jersey in April. [source]

[Cremildo]

Extensive EW story on the film - "Riz Ahmed doesn't say 'a single word' in the first half hour of 'gripping' new thriller Relay"

[Cremildo]

Metacritic

[BluBonnet]

[BluBonnet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywC__z5VgZM

[drb999]

Wow. Looks intense and cool.

[sexdrugsrocknroll]

It does look really good. I never know how much of these trailers I should watch because of how MUCH they show you so I kinda blanked out the last 35 seconds or so.

[Samus Aran]

Tonight's Screen Unseen (AMC) and Monday Mystery Movie (Regal) got leaked early and it's Relay.

[MuffinMcFluffin]

I just saw it. Clever writing, more than I could do anyway. I was extremely positive on it for most of my viewing experience, but I was heavily soured on a story element that I really could've done without.

Avoid watching that trailer posted above, if possible. It shows way too much of the second half, and it is also not indicative of the kind of movie this is. To me, this had a mix of feeling a bit like a Bourne film (cat & mouse pursuit) and The Adjustment Bureau (fixing behind the scenes), so maybe Matt Damon should've played the lead (kidding, Riz Ahmed was great). Around its intense moments, it is certainly not without its own wit and charm. It has strong caper vibes, and isn't just a rampant action thriller.

With certain reservations at play, I would definitely recommend it. This definitely has sexual potential, too.

EDIT: Clearly I meant to say sequel, but that autocorrect is so funny I'm just going to leave it in.

SECOND EDIT: For the record, Samus Aran (below) was referring to a post after mine which has since been deleted. My post is spoiler-free.

[Samus Aran]

You should just put a spoiler on the entire sentence.

[BluBonnet]

[Show spoiler]I enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would, and the performances are really very good!

There is a

[Show spoiler]3rd act

twist, which I actually saw coming about half an hour earlier, when it is revealed that the

[Show spoiler] Lily James

character

[Show spoiler]is actually one of the bad guys.

Although I’m not 100% how well the twist stands up to scrutiny, it still makes up for a pretty compelling movie.

[dommie]

Pretty good movie. This film was an old fashioned twist and turn movie with an effective cat and mouse play to it. The third act "twist" works decently as well. The pacing had the feel of the Bourne films and that helped move things along. The entire cast delivers the goods. Having lived in Manhattan during my early years, I really liked the way the New York City locations were used, giving the film a very nice backdrop to the overall movement of the narrative. I enjoyed it enough to recommend it.

[Dreamliner330]

I saw Relay today. It had a decent story but I was absolutely bored to tears. There's a 90 minute decent movie trapped inside 112 minutes.

6/10

[Diesel]

Watched this tonight (the only one in the theater) and quite enjoyed it. I really liked that the main character is silent for so long in the beginning, interesting idea. Ahmed and James did quite well and Worthington was very well suited to his part. He’s not the best actor, but I like him in movies where he is used properly.

[The Great Owl]

Four and a half stars

If, like me, you are partial to paranoia conspiracy thrillers in the vein of The Conversation (1974) or The China Syndrome (1979), then Relay, directed by David Mackenzie, will certainly have you looking over your shoulder after the end credits roll.

After having been dismissed from her employment with a major food industry corporation, Sarah, a researcher played by Lily James, is now the target of daily surveillance and harassment because of her knowledge of a cover up about the side effects of a genetically modified wheat strain. Her only hope is Ash, played by Riz Ahmed, who covertly relays negotiation dialogue between whistleblowers and companies in order to facilitate payoffs.

This screen story, which is now hitting widespread theaters after its 2024 film festival premiere, serves as a riveting catharsis for those of us who are weary of existing under the specter of the Almighty Dollar. The end result is one of my favorite movies in recent memory, although it does not quite leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. Like James's beleaguered lead character, viewers will be reminded to trust no one.

[King O.A.]

I really enjoyed it. Riz Ahmed kills it. Lily James is awfully nice to look at. Good flick.

[HaroldnMaude]

How poorly has this done at the box office? On Monday I was deciding between seeing this or Caught Stealing & went with that film thinking "I can see Relsy next weekend. " I'm in Canada, and now looking at the Cineplex website it seems they've pulled this from theatres all across the country after only a couple weeks. We have a second run independent theatre locally, so maybe they will play this - I'll keep an eye on their schedule.

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by HaroldnMaude

How poorly has this done at the box office?

Very.

[Diesel]

I never even saw a trailer for this in theaters before watching it. And yet I saw the trailer for Caught Stealing and that new DiCaprio movie on literally every movie I watched for like two months. I wish we got more varied trailer offerings, especially for smaller movies, instead of so many repeats.

[King O.A.]

This will be a tax write off anyway.