I love paranoia conspiracy thrillers.
The 1970s gave us notable conspiracy classics like The Conversation, Blow Out, Marathon Man, and Three Days of the Condor, and the 2000s graced us with one of the best throwbacks to the genre, Michael Clayton. With director David Mackenzie’s latest thriller, Relay, he’s having tremendous fun harkening back to these classic conspiracy thrillers, resulting in a tense, enjoyable popcorn film.
Relay follows Ash (Riz Ahmed), a reclusive fixer tasked with helping Sarah Grant (Lily James), a research scientist turned whistleblower, as mercenaries hunt her down. Relay is a perfect example of visual storytelling as Mackenzie meticulously plants his clues with pinpoint precision. Nothing feels spoon-fed, and every plot point is accessible while rewarding you for paying attention. What makes Relay unique is how Mackenzie ties in all the espionage with real-life public services. The intricacies behind the post office, airports, and the Telecommunications Relay System all factor heavily into the plot, and are given time to shine. Focusing on these public services and local New York locations makes the city feel like a character in the film, and Mackenzie’s world feels lived in.
Relay also features strong leading performances from both Riz Ahmed and Lily James. Both actors deal with massive obstacles that could hold back any actor. Ahmed delivers a predominantly silent performance, with a majority of his scenes involving typing and staring, while James spends most of the film acting opposite a phone. Both actors were up for the challenge and thrived, delivering layered, nuanced, and captivating performances that reward rewatching.
Much like any conspiracy thriller, it’s tough to sing Relay‘s praises without accidentally providing spoilers, and this is definitely a film you should go into as blind as possible. I will say Relay is an absolute blast that rewards rewatches, as each screening makes you look at character interactions, editing, and blocking in a whole new way. This is a film that deserves to be seen in a theater for the initial pop, then rewatched at home with wine and some snacks.
Relay is still playing at the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday, June 11, and Friday, June 13. You can buy tickets here.
