CLEANER (2025)

SYNOPSIS: Set in present-day London, a group of radical activists take over an energy company's annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. Their just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world. It falls to an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, played by Ridley, suspended 50 storeys up on the outside of the building, to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother.

MOVIE REVIEW:

Daisy Ridley didn’t really have a smooth-sailing acting career despite being cast in one of the most lucrative franchises ever. Yet she remains a formidable presence whenever she is onscreen. In this disposable action flick, she plays a foul-mouthed window cleaner, Joey. She is a former UK soldier, has a tough childhood and has to take care of his autistic brother, Michael (Matthew Tuck). In short, she is the imperfect heroine that the world needs.

The Die Hard inspired story has it that a group of activists or terrorists depending when you are coming from storm into the Agnian Energy building where the owners, brothers Gerald Milton (Lee Boardman) and Geoffrey Milton (Rufus Jones) are holding a party for their powerful business associates and politicians. The group led by Marcus Blake (Clive Owen) and his unhinged second-in-command, Noah Santos (Taz Skylar) wants the people to confess to their crimes on video. Blake is the cool as cucumber leader who wants no one dead while Noah is the extremist who wants everyone dead so that the world will be a better place.

Cleaner is as predictable as it gets even though veteran director Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, Goldeneye) is at the helm. Clearly, it lacks the fun and intensity of Die Hard. Running at a brisk 97 minutes, the actioner spends almost an hour filled with a prologue that runs longer than expected and numerous talking heads rambling about human beings’ poor choices and the environment. Yup this is an action movie with a muddled eco message thrown in. And you are practically stuck with the preaching as Noah Santos gets wilder and erratic by the minute.

As for our promising heroine, Joey. She is relegated to the platform, suspended in the middle of the skyscraper and trying hard to break into the building to save her brother and the hostages for most of the runtime. Perhaps due to budgetary concerns, the action only takes place in the last 20 minutes or so. The fight choreography is decent at best while the gun toting sequences lacks any evident creativity and impression.

Daisy is absolutely fine here at least she is not typecast in the action department. That can’t be said for Clive Owen who we assumed is playing the Alan Rickman’s baddie role. Without elaborating further, it’s simply a joke not well-played. Cleaner in short is a wasted opportunity. Instead of featuring over-the-top thrilling action sequences, the lead star is confined to a platform listening to instruction from a police Superintendent (Ruth Gemmell). The script tries to be smart and educational but it’s a poor choice for sure.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee