The 2025 action/thriller Cleaner is about dirty tricks and sort of like Die Hard but in the United Kingdom. There is no Nakatomi Plaza and the female hero is not an off duty cop. It also doesn’t take place during Christmas.
The plot though? It is awfully close to Die Hard in many ways. A lone “savior” fighting terrorists in a high rise. Sound familiar? That is really the only “direct” connection.
The Story
Environmental activists take over an energy gala being held in a high rise. Things go south quickly when one of the activists kills the leader and starts killing fellow activists. 300 people are taken hostage. The only person who stands a chance at saving the day is a window cleaner. She just happens to be a former Royal Marine “wash-out.”
The Cast
Clive Owen is Marcus.
Taz Skylar is Noah.
Matthew Tuck is Michael.
Daisy Ridley is Joey.
Lee Boardman is Gerald Milton.
Rufus Jones is Geoffrey Milton.
Gavin Fleming is Derek.
Flavia Watson is Zee.
Tom Boney is Leon.
Ruth Gemmell is DS Hume.
*If ever they decide to do a biopic of the late great Oliver Reed, Boardman should play the older Reed. He is almost a doppelganger of the actor.*
Cleaner BTS
Martin Campbell directs Cleaner with the same panache he brings to all his directorial efforts. He takes the screenplay written by the trio of Simon Uttley, Paul Andrew Williams, and Matthew Orton and makes it roar. Everything behind the camera from DP Eigil Hensen to Matthew Stirling as Stunt Coordinator clicks.
It works
The decision to offer a slice of Joey and Michael’s backstory adds depth to Cleaner. In fact, all the characters are living breathing people. There are the odd two dimensional roles but not many. Every one of the roles have enough truth and moments of doubt that we believe them.
Michael and Joey struggle separately as this tale unfolds.
Ridley rocks this one. Although there is one sticking point. This former Royal Marine recruit cannot move a dead body, even with her brother’s help. She can, however, kick arse royally a short time later. A bit sloppy chaps.
Not Die Hard Ho, Ho, Ho
Nothing will ever completely copy Die Hard. “Now I have a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho.” The dialogue lacks the smart arse delivery and lines in the John McTiernan cult favorite.
We have a collusion of the higher echelon of society who all play dirty with the environment. An energy company concerned with the all mighty pound and not saving the climate.
This company does a Karen Silkwood on their version of a whistleblower among a number of other heinous acts. Unfortunately the adult in charge of showing these greedy folks up is murdered by an underling.
Everything escalates from there and there is no Hans Gruber running the show for fun and profit. Cleaner is, in its own right, clever.
the verdict
Cleaner earns a full 4.5 stars here for effort and story. Sadly, it could have used more Clive Owen. It loses a half star for plot holes that you can drive a London bus through. Sure there is the same old cops being cops drill but what good is a hostage situation without tropes? Cleaner is streaming on Max.
The Trailer
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