In Relay, Riz Ahmed specializes in negotiating payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals threatening to expose them. His latest client is played by Lily James, who had planned to reveal that a food company’s product could cause serious harm to people, and the company wasn't letting people know. However, after being harassed, all she wants now is to return the documents and be left alone.
Riz’s character, whose name we don’t learn until near the end, uses a telephone relay system, typically used for the deaf or people who are hard of hearing, to keep his identity hidden. The system involves a third-party operator who relays typed messages to the other person. None of the calls are logged, and they are bound by confidentiality. It's a smart way for him to remain anonymous while managing these high risk deals.
I think it's best to go into this movie without knowing much. I would describe it as a slow-burn thriller. It kept me curious the whole time. There are no big car chases etc, so some people might be bored? I certainly wasn't though. I really enjoyed it. There was a moment near the end that made me say, “What?!” out loud, something I didn't expect. I'm still not sure if I loved the direction the film went from there on.
Overall, I thought Relay was excellent. It’s one of my favorites of the festival so far, and I’d definitely recommend it.
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