The spy movie with zero kills… but a killer idea.
Relay throws you into the world of underground “message couriers”—people who transport top-secret intel without ever knowing the full story. No car chases, no gunfights, no shaken martinis—just pure psychological warfare, coded words, and enough tension to make your smartwatch think you’re exercising.
Riz Ahmed proves once again why he’s one of the most compelling actors working today. As Ash, the stoic genius operating in the shadows, he nails the quiet intensity of a man balancing precision with paranoia. His disguises? Smoothly executed—like a budget Jason Bourne who prefers wigs over weapons.
But the real scene-stealer? Lily James. Her layered performance brings warmth, guilt, and a haunting sense of humanity to the film. She anchors Relay with emotion that lingers long after the credits roll. Sam Worthington also pops up—yes, out of his Avatar suit—and reminds us that he can play morally gray just as well as blue.
Visually, Relay thrives on its restraint. The cinematography mirrors the film’s tension—tight frames, sterile offices, and shadow-drenched backstreets that heighten the paranoia. The sound design is equally sharp, using silence as its biggest weapon. The score, a mix of minimalist beats and uneasy strings, gives everything an undercurrent of dread—like your brain’s buffering before a bad decision.
This isn’t your typical glossy spy flick; it’s grounded, tactile, and refreshingly dialogue-driven. Instead of feeding you spoonfuls of exposition, it trusts you to keep up—a rare respect for the audience these days.
A spy thriller with not a single kill. You’d think that’s a recipe for boredom, but Relay manages to keep your pulse racing from start to finish. Director David Mackenzie turns paranoia into entertainment gold, crafting a high-octane, low-body-count story that’s as smart as it is suspenseful.
What makes Relay stand out is its substance—beneath the gadgets and disguises lie themes of addiction, guilt, suicide, and redemption. It’s rare to see a thriller that dares to explore emotional damage instead of just collateral damage.
The “relay service” concept itself is genius. Using communication tools designed for people with disabilities as the foundation for spycraft? That’s both clever and refreshingly inclusive. It gives the film a unique tech realism that feels modern rather than gimmicky.
If there’s a weak link, it’s the romance subplot. It’s not bad—just not quite convincing enough to justify Ash’s sudden moral meltdown. Still, that’s a minor blip in an otherwise tight, engaging story that blends suspense, humor, and heart.
And yes, it’s a paranoia thriller done almost comedically—and somehow, it works. You’ll laugh, you’ll tense up, and you’ll find yourself weirdly rooting for a guy who treats danger like a customer service job.
Despite a slightly underwhelming ending, Relay is one of the year’s best surprises: original, smart, and full of nerve.
A no-kill spy film that slays in every other way.
