Relay
The strength of Relay is in its setup and the more technical aspects of how Riz Ahmed's character Ash assists his clients, those in possession of damaging documents to their company who choose to return them rather than turn whistleblower, while keeping himself at arms length and hidden in the shadows. However, the weakness to Justin Piasecki's script is how the story of Ash's latest client (Lily James), who is facing harassment after stealing confidential information from her employer proving criminal negligence that could kill thousands, eventually devolves into a rote thriller (especially in the last half-hour) that flies in the face of what made everything beforehand work so well.
The script keeps the two stars apart with their only connection over the phone through the Telecommunications Relay Service that provides strict anonymity, while also making use of the United States Postal Service to pass money and the secure documents, preventing any person-to-person contact which Sarah's stalkers (Sam Worthington, Willa Fitzgerald, and Jared Abrahamson) could use to identify and track Ash down. This allows him to play hardball with her old bosses without putting himself, or Sarah, in any further danger. We also get Eisa Davis in a small role as Ash's AA sponsor whose real purpose to the script is all too easy to figure out.
Although the film eventually falls apart in the final act, it's still worth checking out because it works so well showcasing Ash staying one-step ahead using methods that continue to infuriate the team desperately searching for him building tension up until the point where this unusual story becomes all too predictable. Ahmed is well cast as the unlikely leading man in an unlikely thriller, James is fine as the woman at the end of her rope (although I don't know that I ever bought her as a scientist), and Worthington is having fun as the soldier growing more and more angry as this unseen adversary continues to run him in circles. Even with the precipitative drop-off, Relay still provides some intriguing moments and its share of thrills that hold more promise than is ultimately delivered.
Watch the trailer- Title: Relay
- IMDb: link
