Relay (2024)

Relay has one twist too many, and you’ll know exactly which one when it lands. Until then, it’s the most fun a thriller has had with a phone call in years. Riz Ahmed plays Ash, a New York fixer who brokers deals so whistleblowers can hand back what they took and walk away safe. Every client call runs through a relay service built for deaf callers, with Ash typing while an operator reads his words aloud. His newest client, Lily James’s research scientist, has a report about a company’s genetically modified wheat, and a surveillance crew led by Sam Worthington is on her. Watching Ash outplay that crew with burner phones, passcodes and a decoy package mailed to Oklahoma is pure old-school spy craft. Ahmed is terrific as a man who would rather be invisible. The ending asks for more faith than the setup earned. A 7.4 because the cat-and-mouse is sharp even when the last turn isn’t. $215.71 says the next package you mail, you half expect a parked van to follow it.

What works: The cat-and-mouse is clever and clear, the New York locations feel gritty and real, and Riz Ahmed is magnetic in a role built on silence.

What doesn’t: The late twist is more surprising than believable, and the backstory scenes for Ash slow down an otherwise tight chase.

Who it’s for: Fans of classic conspiracy thrillers who love watching a professional plan three moves ahead.