Relay

There are whistleblowers, and there are people who want to take it back. Sarah Grant (Lily James) is the latter. She happened upon some information she shouldn’t have happened upon, and when she refused to take the buyout her company offered her, she absconded with research materials proving that their genetically modified crops had dangerous side effects. Now, they’re coming after her. They’re following her, harassing her, and even torched her car in the parking lot to send a message to her.

Sarah meets with an attorney, referred to her by a friend, who might know someone. This guy can fix problems like this. Ash (Riz Ahmed) is a professional fixer who uses anonymity and secrecy to protect his clients as they negotiate the terms of their continued silence, to end harassment campaigns. Ash contacts his clients through a relay service used by the deaf and hard of hearing, due to their confidentiality, and because it allows his correspondence to go through multiple intermediaries, so it’s always being funneled through someone else. It’s almost like he, himself, does not exist. It helps, too, if he doesn’t see his clients as people, but as text on a screen, as he navigates them through dangerous situations.

Ash has been at it a long time, so he knows how to collect documents and arrange for cash payoffs. He has an intricate system of P.O. boxes and forwarding addresses, so if the corporate goons who are after Sarah can manage to get their hands on a tracking number to follow his packages, it leads them to a dead end. Tracking numbers and forwarding information are separate services, so they wind up chasing a ghost.

Much of Relay is excellent, a kind of old-fashioned thriller made for grown-ups who don’t need a car chase, explosion, or gunfight to erupt every thirty seconds to keep their attention on the screen. The tension is wrung from the premise and its characters, utilizing our investment in the story to build dread and suspense. When things go wrong, it’s an organic extension of the plot that feels real—people make mistakes, and mistakes get people killed. How Ash rolls with the punches when those mistakes happen is what makes him an interesting character.

It doesn’t happen often, but every now and then, you see a movie with a climax so poorly thought out and executed that it undoes much of what happened before it. Building up to the grand finale, there is a last-minute reveal that takes every bit of good from the story and acts as its antithesis. Relay plays out like a younger, hipper version of Michael Clayton with a shoe-horned M. Night Shyamalan-style twist ending slapped onto it that simply doesn’t work. And not only does it not work, it doesn’t make any sense. While Relay was never a “great” movie, it was a confident, well-designed one, with solid direction from David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water). With the way it resolves itself, it’s simply a missed opportunity, so frustratingly close to capturing a kind of magic we don’t see in suspense flicks like this anymore.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
Relay makes the call and connects its audience to a single-disc Blu-ray release housed in a standard case. The artwork for the film's physical media release is unique to its physical release, featuring a cheesy cover rife with guns, explosions, and intrigue—don’t expect this from the film, which is, for the vast majority of its runtime, free of violence and action.

Relay is presented in 1080p high definition video, having been shot digitally by cinematographer Giles Nuttgens using the Arri Alexa 35 digital camera. Relay is the kind of film where its cinematography excels by being invisible. It doesn’t call attention to itself, and we lose ourselves in the story, forgetting about filmmaking techniques. David Mackenzie utilizes a lot of long takes, not as a show-offy display of complexity, but to allow much of the dialogue to carry the story, almost like a stage play. Details are nice and sharp, with colors that pop amid the gray and drab scenery of a concrete jungle, a city so vast that it seems inescapable.

Viewers are treated to two audio options: A 5.1 surround sound mix and a 2.0 descriptive audio feature for the visually impaired, both encoded in DTS-HD MA. While action-packed effects like gunshots, explosions, and squealing tires beneath a speeding vehicle are relegated to the final 15 minutes of the film, the entire feature boasts an immersive mix. Surround sound activity is at a constant level, whether through the hustle and bustle of a crowded city or atmospheric effects like a gentle breeze. Needle drops and the musical score swell above, through the front and rear of the soundstage, without ever being overly loud. Relay is a very talky picture, propelled by the interactions between characters, so priority is given there, and dialogue quality is crystal clear.

This disc features no special features, aside from some trailers that precede the feature, but are inaccessible through the disc’s menu option.

Relay is the victim of something I haven’t seen in a long time: An ending so poorly conceived that it renders the rest of the film an illogical mess. It’s a shame, too, because up until that point, it was a subtle, intense thriller that felt confident in its story. I won’t say that Relay is completely nullified, because it does still have solid direction, some very exciting sequences, and terrific performances, particularly from the always dependable Riz Ahmed. Supplemented by great A/V stats (but no special features, unfortunately), Relay is Worth a Look.