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Relay

Play trailer 2:18 Poster for Relay R Aug 2025 1h 52m Mystery & Thriller Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 127 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 250+ Verified Ratings
In RELAY, Riz Ahmed plays a world class "fixer" who specializes in brokering lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten their ruin. He keeps his identity a secret through meticulous planning and always follows an exacting set of rules. But when a message arrives one day from a potential client (Lily James), needing his protection just to stay alive, the rules quickly start to change.
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Relay

Relay

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Critics Consensus

A brainy thriller that harkens back to the gritty verisimilitude of classic conspiracy cinema, Relay might have one reversal too many but finishes the race with aplomb.

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Audience Says

Steadily led by Lily James and Riz Ahmed, Relay is a fast-paced, engaging thriller that feels effortlessly and refreshingly original.

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Critics Reviews

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Linda Marric HeyUGuys A film that reaches for the intelligence and elegance of its influences, even if it doesn’t quite grasp them. It may not redefine the genre, but it reminds you what a grown-up thriller can look like when it aims high. Rated: 3/5 Oct 29, 2025 Full Review Harry Stainer Empire Magazine With Ahmed and James’ connection holding it together, this is a tight, tense throwback to the paranoid thrillers of yesteryear that just about sticks the landing. Rated: 3/5 Oct 28, 2025 Full Review Sergio Burstein Los Angeles Times Ahmed, always excellent, perfectly lives up to expectations by playing a man with a very particular sensitivity... while James does her part with ease. [Full review in Spanish] Sep 4, 2025 Full Review Alistair Harkness Scotsman The resulting film is pleasurably old school in its twists and turns, but in Ahmed’s character it also offers a slyly ironic portrait of the isolation of the digital age: Ash is an analogue guy not because he wants to be, but because he has to be. Rated: 4/5 Oct 28, 2025 Full Review Charlotte Simmons The Treatment (Substack) Indeed, we can accomplish quite a bit by focusing on each other first and the institutions second, just as any film worth watching — like Relay — focuses on its human thrust before the puzzle of the plot. Oct 24, 2025 Full Review Nestor Bentancor Nestor Cine Desde Hollywood A sober, tense thriller with precise direction and strong performances that quietly grips you until the end. Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Pamila Really well done. Twist thrown in at the end did surprise. Main character is very affecting. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/13/25 Full Review Brent Absolute thriller, with a plot you can't understand how anyone could write 🤘 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/14/25 Full Review Google Excellent movie,I absolutely loved it.. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/13/25 Full Review June The plot was interesting and I really like the main character. Sometimes the characters would do stupid things and it was really hard to watch. Also some of the side characters were really annoying. Cinematically it was great and it was entertaining to watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/07/25 Full Review First Great movie, and even better experience… great margarita! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/06/25 Full Review Rod D good a very surprising ending Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/05/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis In RELAY, Riz Ahmed plays a world class "fixer" who specializes in brokering lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten their ruin. He keeps his identity a secret through meticulous planning and always follows an exacting set of rules. But when a message arrives one day from a potential client (Lily James), needing his protection just to stay alive, the rules quickly start to change.
Director
David Mackenzie
Producer
Basil Iwanyk, Gillian Berrie, David Mackenzie, Teddy Schwarzman
Screenwriter
Justin Piasecki
Distributor
Bleecker Street
Production Co
Black Bear, Thunder Road Pictures, Sigma Films
Rating
R (Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 22, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2025
Runtime
1h 52m
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