Advance Review: Relay is a 2025 American action film produced and directed by David Mackenzie, with a screenplay by Justin Piasecki. It stars Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and Sam Worthington, and is scheduled for release on August 22 2025.
The film centers around Sarah, played by Lily James, who becomes a whistleblower after discovering sensitive information about a major company. This company is planning to release a product that will result in the deaths of thousands. Through her attorney, Sarah finds a way to return the documents to the company rather than releasing the information to the public. She makes contact with an individual through a relay company and is instructed never to meet or hear the voice of Ash, portrayed by Riz Ahmed. Meanwhile, Dawson, played by Sam Worthington, is an agent of the company hired to obtain the documents at any cost.
The dynamics of this high-stakes situation unfold with increasing intensity throughout the film. Sarah doesn’t fully grasp the complications she’s involved in, which leads her to rely on and trust her liaison, Ash. As their relationship develops, they engage in meaningful conversations through the relay agency. Despite Ash’s ability to see Sarah and protect her, she never hears his actual voice or sees his face. As their connection grows, Sarah gets into deeper trouble by not following Ash’s directions, placing both of them in precarious situations. The tension escalates until a major twist occurs that even surprised me.
The film is well shot, with the exception of Worthington, who is his usual fantastic self even while portraying a sort of antagonist. Most of the other actors in the film are lesser-known, but the direction, editing, and story compensate for this as they all do a commendable job in their respective roles. There are some thrilling action sequences that keep viewers on the edge of their seats, often prompting them to talk back to the screen to warn the characters.
This movie serves as a reminder of the caution we should exercise regarding whom we trust. It raises the question of whether we should take the easy way out to protect ourselves or the harder path, which involves protecting and helping others. In my own life, I’ve learned the importance of trust, and this theme resonated with me. I often say, “I don’t trust anyone but myself and the Lord, and half the time, I can’t trust myself!” We see this scenario play out among the characters in the film. The truth is, like them, we all make mistakes that stem from misplaced trust. We can be easily misled, and if we aren’t careful, we can mislead ourselves as well. This movie is a good reminder that the trust we place in God might be the only reliable foundation, but we must be steadfast in our beliefs.
I didn’t know much about this film before watching it. While it had some slow moments and a few plot holes, it kept me entertained and engaged. I appreciated the surprises it offered and found it to be a worthwhile experience. Overall, it outshines many films currently being released, so on a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a score of 6.5, indicating it’s better than average.