Overlooked 2024 Thriller From a Taylor Sheridan Director Finds HBO Max Success

David Mackenzie has built a reputation for range, from small prison dramas to large historical epics, yet he remains less widely known than his work deserves. He also directed Hell or High Water, the Taylor Sheridan screenplay that holds a 97% "Certified Fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes and earned Sheridan an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Mackenzie’s latest film, Relay, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024 and reached theaters on August 22, 2025, though it made only around $4 million at the box office. Riz Ahmed stars as a fixer who arranges discreet payoffs for corrupt corporations; Lily James plays a whistleblower confronting a company hiding the side effects of genetically modified wheat.

Relay holds an 82% critics score and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it has become one of the most-watched titles on the global HBO Max chart, outpacing Roofman, Locke, and The Mummy.

Canada, Toronto

david mackenzie, relay, taylor sheridan, riz ahmed, lily james, hbo max, tiff, rotten tomatoes, gm wheat, box office