Relay (Theatrical)

For those looking for an old school style espionage thriller, Relay may just very well fill that void. It has spy elements and will bring up memories of films from yesteryear albeit in the modern world. It moves along at a nice clip, has interesting characters and is well cast. The problem lies with a twist in the last act that threatens to undo all that was earned, but it remains a powerful film that warrants a viewing.

We meet Sarah (Lily James) who is in a bit of a bind. She has discovered some wrongdoings at her place of business. It is an issue with food safety. Instead of going the full-blown whistleblower route, she simply wants her life back. She claims to have important documents from her now former employer that she is willing to trade in exchange for immunity. This is where Ash (Riz Ahmed) enters as a fixer of sorts. His way of communicating with clients is via a relay service and we see how Ash uses modern technology with past tech to get things done. It takes us about half an hour before this character even speaks, but it adds a bit of intrigue and mystique to him. There is also a team out to try and get Sarah, and this is led by Dawson (Sam Worthington). One of the joys of this film is seeing how it all unfolds and the inner workings of these characters on both sides of things. There was more tension in some scenes here than in most modern films. This includes decisions made by characters that can undo the entire operation. What’s so great is how we’re told what should and shouldn’t be done by characters and how well they handle their jobs and avoid capture. It’s terrific stuff really.

It has been a while since I’ve seen a film like Relay and especially one as well made as it is. That is at least most of the way. The film has action, thrills, character development and even a dash of potential romance, though the latter might be overstating things. It is a last act twist that threatens to undo all of this. I won’t reveal much, but it’s such a twist that it causes us to rethink the entire first two acts and wonder why characters acted in such ways. In the world of movies, it may work, but when it comes to logic, it hardly stacks up. Does it ruin this otherwise solid and effective film? No, but it certainly lessens its impact. I hate to see a director get so much right for so long then resort to a twist that seems mostly for shock value. It isn’t as if a more familiar path would’ve hurt the film. Not that the twist makes it more unique as it just undoes a lot of the emotional connection we have to certain characters.

Relay is one of the better films I’ve seen this year. That is at least up to a point. I felt that a twist in the last half was unnecessary, but there is still so much that the film gets right. It’s also the kind of film we don’t see much of anymore and that has become refreshing. Recommended.