Poster © Bleecker Street. Shown at reduced size for review and commentary.
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GenreAction, Drama & Thriller
RatedR
Runtime1 hr 52 mins
ReleasedAugust 22, 2025
StreamingSee Where to Watch
DirectorDavid Mackenzie
StarringRiz Ahmed, Lily James, Sam Worthington
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Relay (2024)
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| WWikipedia | LLetterboxd |
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| Relay's Details | |
| Genre | Action, Drama & Thriller |
| Rated | R |
| Released | 09/08/2024 (TIFF); 08/22/2025 (United States) |
| Streaming | See Where to Watch on this page. |
| Running Time | 1 hr 52 mins |
| Budget | Not reported |
| Box Office | Updated daily from Box Office Mojo. See the numbers below. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Relay's Interests | |
| General | Burner phones, dead drops, relay calls, disguises, padded envelopes, New York trains. |
| Music | Tony Doogan |
| Movies | The Conversation (1974). Surveillance paranoia, the classic edition. |
| Television | The Night Of. Riz Ahmed, New York, a lot of tense waiting. |
| Heroes | Ash. Never shows his face, never misses a detail. |
| Relay's Crew | |
| Director | David Mackenzie |
| Writers | Justin Piasecki |
| Producers | Gillian Berrie, Basil Iwanyk, David Mackenzie, Teddy Schwarzman |
| Cinematography | Giles Nuttgens |
| Music | Tony Doogan |
| Edited By | Matt Mayer |
| Production | Black Bear Pictures, Thunder Road Films, Sigma Films |
| Distributed By | Bleecker Street |
Ash (Riz Ahmed) is a New York fixer with a very specific job: when someone inside a company wants to blow the whistle, he brokers a quiet deal so the evidence goes back, the client gets paid and everyone walks away. To stay anonymous, he talks to clients only through a relay service for deaf callers. His newest client is Sarah Grant (Lily James), a research scientist who walked off with a report her employer badly wants back. A surveillance team led by Dawson (Sam Worthington) is already watching her. David Mackenzie directs. One hundred twelve minutes, every phone call counts.
Anyone who reads the fine print. Twice.
Relay has one twist too many, and you’ll know exactly which one when it lands. Until then, it’s the most fun a thriller has had with a phone call in years. Riz Ahmed plays Ash, a New York fixer who brokers deals so whistleblowers can hand back what they took and walk away safe. Every client call runs through a relay service built for deaf callers, with Ash typing while an operator reads his words aloud. His newest client, Lily James’s research scientist, has a report about a company’s genetically modified wheat, and a surveillance crew led by Sam Worthington is on her. Watching Ash outplay that crew with burner phones, passcodes and a decoy package mailed to Oklahoma is pure old-school spy craft. Ahmed is terrific as a man who would rather be invisible. The ending asks for more faith than the setup earned. A 7.4 because the cat-and-mouse is sharp even when the last turn isn’t. $215.71 says the next package you mail, you half expect a parked van to follow it.
What works: The cat-and-mouse is clever and clear, the New York locations feel gritty and real, and Riz Ahmed is magnetic in a role built on silence.
What doesn’t: The late twist is more surprising than believable, and the backstory scenes for Ash slow down an otherwise tight chase.
Who it’s for: Fans of classic conspiracy thrillers who love watching a professional plan three moves ahead.
Spoilers
Sarah was never really a client: she’s part of the team hired to track down Ash and the documents he has been keeping. The police arrive with Ash’s friend Wash, a detective, and Ash hands the files to the one person he trusts, then mails most of his payoff to the relay service.
| Riz Ahmed | Ash |
| Lily James | Sarah Grant |
| Sam Worthington | Dawson |
| Willa Fitzgerald | Rosetti |
| Jared Abrahamson | Ryan |
| Pun Bandhu | Lee |
| Eisa Davis | Wash |
| Matthew Maher | Hoffman |
| Seth Barrish | Morel |
| Victor Garber | McVie |
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 6 November 2026 DataBot +40 Numbers refreshed: IMDb users 7.0 / 10 (42,113 votes) → 7.0 / 10 (42,267 votes).
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 30 October 2026 DataBot +40 Numbers refreshed: IMDb users 7.0 / 10 (41,923 votes) → 7.0 / 10 (42,113 votes).
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 23 October 2026 DataBot +40 Numbers refreshed: IMDb users 7.0 / 10 (41,838 votes) → 7.0 / 10 (41,923 votes).
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 19 October 2026 DataBot +440 Numbers refreshed: Worldwide box office $4.7M; Domestic box office $3.2M; Opening weekend $1.9M; profit note now waits on a budget; Rotten Tomatoes 82%; box office chart updated; Rotten Tomatoes critics 82% (146 reviews); Metacritic 70 / 100; Rotten Tomatoes audience 89% (250+ verified ratings); IMDb users 7.0 / 10 (41,838 votes); movie.guru score 7.5.
- (cur | prev) 12:00, 19 October 2026 DataBot +2,000 Profile created from Wikipedia and Box Office Mojo: cast, crew, release dates, budget, official trailer.