Relay Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Relay Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 19, 2025

Screenwriter Justic Piasecki makes his feature-length debut with “Relay,” and he offers a very interesting idea about a relationship the develops between two people involved in a whistleblower event gone horribly wrong. It’s a fascinating story that blends procedural action with deep characterization, at times recalling some of the better paranoia thrillers of the 1970s. Director David Mackenzie (who hit a career high with 2016’s “Hell or High Water,” only to come back down to Earth in 2018’s mediocre “Outlaw King”) is tasked with maintaining steady pressure on the audience, creating unusual tension from scenes of communication and surveillance. For the first two acts, “Relay” is excellent, hitting a few logic gaps while generating an impressive amount of suspense, promising a great conclusion to come. A satisfying ending doesn’t arrive, but Mackenzie and Piasecki get most of the way there, handling the nail-biting needs of the tale and its unique study of planning and pursuit.

Sarah (Lily James) is in trouble. A former employee of biotech firm Cybo Sementis, Sarah was once a happy scientist working on a plan to make insect resistant wheat for the world, making a fine living in New York City. Spotting an issue with a food safety assessment that promises misery for those who consume the wheat, Sarah’s efforts to share the news with her superiors turns into a nightmare, inspiring her to quit the company while taking sensitive documents with her. However, instead of becoming a whistleblower, Sarah wants her life back, finding her way to Ash (Riz Ahmed), a fixer specializing in corporate exposure who uses a relay service to communicate with clients. He decides to help Sarah in a plan to exchange the documents for cash, sending her on a byzantine plan to prepare for the handoff. Also involved is a team of corporate mercenaries led by Dawson (Sam Worthington), who’ve been hired to track Sarah and terrify her, pushing her into giving up the information.

Hoffman (Matthew Maher) is the first character we meet in “Relay.” He’s agitated, bearing scars from a violent encounter, and nervously preparing to meet with a pharmaceutical CEO (Victor Garber) in a diner, working out the particulars of a file handoff. We also find Ash observing the situation, setting up details of his work as he maintains a careful distance from the meeting, making sure Hoffman follows through on their plan. It’s a demonstration of Ash’s business, and the character is put right back into play when Sarah makes contact, nervously reaching out for help, and finding it through a relay service, which typically translates calls for the deaf and hard of hearing, keeping the conversations confidential. It’s a system that plays an important part in “Relay,” possibly even introducing the particulars of the service for viewers, giving Piasecki a neat entrance into a game of trust.

Sarah remains panicked, but she’s soothed somewhat by Ash’s professionalism and attention to detail. She’s being terrorized by Dawson and his crew, who work out of a van parked right outside her apartment building, listening to phone calls and studying her movements. “Relay” maintains pressure from the mystery villains, who really seem to enjoy their jobs making lives miserable to protect the 1%. Real tension emerges between Ash and Sarah, with the woman sent on a few plans of travel to help expose who’s following her, staying in touch with the unknown man as he organizes communication needs, mailing details, and communication codes, also venturing out into the world to keep an eye on his client. These sequences really bring “Relay” to attention, exploring the lengths Ash goes to protect his identity, while Dawson remains relentless, creating a few potent confrontations and some effective near-misses as the deadline to the document hand-off draws near.

Relay Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The image presentation (2.35:1 aspect ratio) for "Relay" delivers a good sense of skin particulars on the cast, including some wear and tear on a few characters as violence enters the story. Costuming stays fibrous with cold weather gear. Exteriors deliver strong depths with city tours and apartment stakeouts. Interiors are dimensional, examining large apartment spaces and storage rooms. Color favors a cooler look to "Relay," with steelier blues. Lighting choices and signage add some primary power to the image, along with clothing and decorative choices. Greenery is distinct, along with the concrete feel of the city. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Periodic banding is found during the viewing experience.

Relay Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix offers crisp dialogue exchanges, handling accents and dramatic emphasis with clarity. Scoring delivers defined dramatic and suspense support with sharp instrumentation. Soundtrack selections maintain fresh vocals. Surrounds provide a feel for city life with active atmospherics, and sound effects are alert, playing with the tapping of keys and vehicle movement. Low-end perks up with more violent actions and explosions.

Relay Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this release.

Relay Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Piasecki concentrates on Ash's professional system, and he makes time to better understand the man, who's struggling with guilt and a battle with the bottle, trying to be of service to those who need it. Escalation is excellent, and Mackenzie nails a few misdirections, but once "Relay" enters its final act, the picture unfortunately falls apart. It goes from tautness to slack physical action, and Piasecki gets too grabby with his plotting, attempting to be clever instead of staying smart, ignoring what's worked so well for the feature with a ridiculous conclusion. The ending of "Relay" is a wipeout, but it doesn't destroy the viewing experience in full. There's still outstanding uneasiness to enjoy as Ash and Sarah get to know each other, entering into an agreement that's hit from all sides, making for the development of a nightmare that's successfully carried for most of the movie.