In “Relay” a terrific Riz Ahmed plays John, or is it James, or is it Ash? Either way, he is an off-the-radar New York City fixer with a very specific clientele. He specializes in helping whistleblowers who are being threatened, and in some cases terrorized, by big corporations. Ash brokers deals between his clients who desperately want to be left alone and the companies who desperately want his clients silenced.

In exchange for any damning evidence, the companies agree to leave Ash’s clients alone. If they don’t, he will send the media a copy of the evidence that he alone keeps for leverage, ultimately exposing their corruption. More interesting, Ash communicates exclusively through a dedicated telecommunications relay service. Originally designed for the hearing impaired, the service lets Ash type his words to an operator through an analogue keyboard. The operator then verbally relays them to the client or the company on the other line. It allows Ash to operate undetected while hiding in plain sight.

The premise is a good one and director David Mackenzie (“Hell or High Water”) makes the most of it. He and screenwriter Justin Piasecki tell a story that calls back to the paranoid thrillers of the 1970s and early 1980s. From its earliest scenes we see flashes of De Palma’s “Blow Out” and Coppola’s “The Conversation”. But in just as many ways, “Relay” is also distinctly modern. Its story has an undeniable relevance and the characters feel stitched in from our current timeline.

Lily James plays Sarah Grant, a research scientist for a bio-tech company who was let go for sharing alarming concerns about the corporation’s new project. It turns out the food-based venture could have deadly side-effects. But the company is intent on keeping it silent, as the scandal could threaten their pending $3.2 billion merger. Armed with documents implicating her former employer, Sarah was initially prepared to go public. But the company’s intensifying intimidation and harassment has left her scared and wanting her old life back.

With no help from the cops and no law firm willing to take her case, Sarah tries more unofficial channels and reaches out to Ash. After a thorough investigation, he agrees to help (for a hefty $50,000 deposit). Ash immediately lays out the rules – they are never to meet in person, they will only communicate through the relay service, and she is to follow his instructions to the letter, no matter how strange they may seem. Failure to follow the rules could result in Ash walking away, leaving Sarah on her own.

Complicating matters is the company’s bulldog, Steve Dawson (Sam Worthington). He and his crew have Sarah in their sights and don’t appreciate Ash getting in the way. It sets up a whip-smart game of cat-and-mouse as Ash attempts to stay one step ahead of his crooked counterpart while keeping Sarah safe in the process. The simmering tension turns to a boil as Mackenzie works towards a whopper of a twist that we never see coming.

At the same time, the movie’s big twist makes us question several things that came before it. It’s an ambitious turn no doubt and one that yanks the story in an entirely different direction. And it’s admittedly fun. But fully making sense of it is a challenge, especially when it comes at the expense of the characters. Thankfully it doesn’t undermine everything Mackenzie and Piasecki had developed to that point.

The film’s world of corporate secrets, clandestine operatives, and hidden identities is visualized through the compelling lensing of DP Giles Nuttgens. His images, especially those shot at locations in and around a pulsing New York City, add richness and vibrancy to the events. But at its core, “Relay” is about more. Beyond its thriller dressing is an insightful character study about social isolation and the need for communication. And it registers through Ahmed’s finely calibrated lead performance.

VERDICT – 4 STARS