CLEANER Review: Exactly The Action Film You Expect It Is (In A Good Way)

Introduction

On paper, Martin Campbell’s Cleaner looks like another Die Hard incarnation with Daisy Ridley substituted for Bruce Willis. Once you see the film, you’ll realize that’s exactly what Campbell and Ridley deliver with some slightly subverted expectations. It’s refreshingly conventional!

Synopsis

Ridley stars as Joey Locke, a former soldier trying to get by. She is called to remove her autistic brother Michael (Matthew Tuck) from a group home but is also late to her day job of washing the windows of the high-rise building owned by an energy giant Agnian. She is forced to bring Michael along while she works alongside her co-worker Noah (Taz Skyler).  

While finishing up her work, the building’s party is hijacked by eco-terrorists led by Marcus Blake (Clive Owen). Stuck outside with Michael stuck on the inside, Joey must figure out how to save her brother. All the while, the terrorists have a bit more in mind than simply spreading a world-friendly message.

Conventionality

I won’t spoil it here, but those subverted expectations come early on and are a fairly big swing. That’s the only opportunity the film takes to differentiate itself. With these action movies, you have to suspend your disbelief on a fairly consistent basis or you’ll drive yourself nuts with the inconsistencies and plot conveniences. Campbell is very capable of shooting a coherent action sequence, so he gets a pass when the script doesn’t take the easy way out.

These films live and die with their protagonist, and Joey is a solid character to root for. She cares about her brother, but not quite enough. She’s capable and intelligent, but not alienatingly so. She isn’t sexualized in any way, but she is also physically capable without stretching the limits of believability. Even her relationship with hostage negotiator Claire (Ruth Gemmell) mirrors the John McClane/Al the cop Die Hard dynamic. The audience buys her, therefore they buy the film.

Cast

Ridley delivers the goods as an action heroine, without stretching beyond her capabilities. Her ferocity and determination are her primary attributes, which she delivers at every opportunity. Her back-and-forth with Tuck is the bedrock on which the film stands. Tuck, for his part, does a fine job in a role that mirrors his real-life neurodivergence. On-screen depictions of autism are not exactly nuanced, but the film gives it a nice nod without turning him superhuman.

It’s always nice to get Clive Owen back on screen. He gets to play the self-righteous version of Hans Gruber, while Skyler plays the high-strung second banana. Those dynamics within the group are where the film begins to sizzle, though it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Not only that, the film attempts to throw in a bit of corporate intrigue and geo-political ideals for good measure. It’s pretty superfluous, but you have to fill in the gaps with something.

Conclusion

Cleaner is exactly what you think it will be and delivers on the promise. Instead of messing with a working formula, Campbell and Ridley do what the world expects of them, not that it’s a bad thing.