Cleaner (2025) - Film Review

      **Cleaner, 2025.**

      **Directed by Martin Campbell.**

      **Starring Daisy Ridley, Clive Owen, Taz Skylar, Flavia Watson, Ray Fearon, Rufus Jones, Richard Hope, Lee Boardman, Stella Stocker, Atanas Srebrev, Celine Arden, Akie Kotabe, Poppy Townsend White, Andreea Diac, Rachel Kwok, Lorna Lowe, Cassandra Spiteri, Frances Katz, Mélissa Humler, Ben Essex, and Karin Carlson.**

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      A group of criminal activists seizes control of a gala, taking 300 individuals hostage. One extremist intends to carry out mass murder as a statement to the world. A former soldier turned window cleaner sets out to save the hostages.

      When Joey Locke, played by Daisy Ridley, was a child (portrayed by Poppy Townsend White), she navigated her chaotic home life, where her parents were abusive towards her autistic brother Michael. To escape her tumultuous surroundings, she would silently climb around their apartment, eventually settling on a windowsill and swinging her legs off the edge. This behavior, while providing a form of escape, also created a divide between her and her brother. This pattern foreshadows her unremarkable future as a skyscraper cleaner. Joey is also a disgraced military veteran, a detail that becomes crucial in this gripping action film directed by Martin Campbell.

      In present-day London, Joey is running late for work and learns that her brother Michael (Matthew Tuck) has been expelled from the care facility where he was placed. Michael, a talented hacker who struggles with anxiety and paranoia, believes the staff are stealing from him. With nowhere else to turn and not being able to live independently due to his autism, an annoyed Joey brings him to work with her. Now behind schedule, Joey leaves Michael with a friendly doorman while she confronts her unsympathetic boss in the control room, who assigns her a series of demanding tasks.

      While riding the elevator, Joey encounters one of the ruthless owners of the skyscraper, who is also the head of a renewable energy company hosting a gala that evening. The event will feature numerous high-profile business guests, and the overarching theme suggests a corrupt operation built on deceitful practices by various figures, including a prominent climate change denier. As she cleans the glass walls—either from the outside lift or using rappel gear—Joey witnesses a hostage situation being orchestrated by activists, who threaten the awakened wealthy attendees to confess their misdeeds in order to effect change for the planet.

      Despite the seemingly noble intentions, the unstable Noah (Taz Skylar) eliminates the composed leader (Clive Owen) and escalates his violent approach to achieve his perverse sense of justice, reminiscent of the infamous villain Thanos from Marvel. The film humorously alludes to Michael's fascination with blockbuster films, creating a tongue-in-cheek commentary about the insanity of those who admire Thanos's plan. This grounded perspective offers a thought-provoking critique of the inherent cruelty often masked by fantasy narratives.

      The villains, though mainly superficial, are framed within a narrative describing their cause as justifiable—at least until internal conflicts arise. While the film may shy away from any radical political discourse in favor of maintaining suspense and action, it does manage to deliver a captivating experience reminiscent of *Die Hard*.

      Martin Campbell, alongside screenwriters Matthew Orton, Simon Uttley, and Paul Andrew Williams, confronts the narrative challenges head-on without sidestepping the core concept. Joey becomes trapped in the external lift, compelling her to rely on her ingenuity to gather intelligence and navigate her dangerous predicament while leveraging her military skills to rescue her brother, the hostages, and ultimately save the day. Daisy Ridley's performance reflects a demanding blend of physicality and acrobatic agility, as she unflinchingly engages in intense confrontations, all of which are tension-filled and exhilarating.

      The inclusion of an autistic brother initially raises concerns of insensitivity but ultimately adds a commendable dimension, contributing to a heroic moment or two. In a film that can be absurdly intricate, Martin Campbell effectively utilizes even the most ridiculous plot twists to enhance its captivating premise.

      *Cleaner* serves as a rather bleak reflection of contemporary cinema. In the pre-pandemic era, it would undoubtedly have garnered major studio distribution, appearing on 2,000 screens, especially with a distinguished action director like Martin Campbell at the helm. This film deserves an audience; a decade or so ago, it would have thrived in theaters and likely achieved solid box office results. The entire Hollywood system is in need of a thorough cleanse.

      **Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★**

      Robert Kojder is affiliated with the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He serves as the Flickering