The Wasteland Reviewer

Cleaner (2025) Written Review

What does director Martin Campbell have up his sleeve for his new foray into the action/thriller genre? Campbell made such an impact in the 90s into the 00s with two of the best James Bond films (Goldeneye & Casino Royale) under his belt as well as the thrilling and fresh take on the classic masked vigilante, The Mask of Zorro. Post Green Lantern (not a great outing for Campbell or comic book fans alike), he has mostly focused on star led action/thrillers that find a high concept idea to play around with. Jackie Chan. Maggie Q. Liam Neeson. Eva Green. An interesting collection of stars and now his leading lady is Star Wars alumna Daisy Ridley.

But does Cleaner deliver a thrilling new action experience for audiences to sink their teeth into? Like most of his recent films (especially The Protégé), Cleaner has a sleek and modern action feel to it that stands out in subtle ways. The action is not the most dynamic, especially in a modern action landscape that includes impressive efforts like John Wick and Mission: Impossible. There are some elements of modern action like too many edits that take away from the action a bit, but Campbell is still able to leverage some interesting set pieces to heighten that tension. Ridley’s character is a window cleaner, and she gets stuck on a lift on a giant skyscraper which opens the door for some solid thrilling moments. This is not an effects driven film (like most blockbusters) but when the film needs it, the effects are certainly serviceable. There are some familiar motifs with classics like Die Hard which does make the film feel a little derivative.

Does this lean thriller deliver on a story standpoint? The whole concept of environmental activists taking over a Gala for the rich members of an energy company certainly opens the door for some interesting thematic elements. The script, from Matthew Orton, Simon Uttley, and Paul Andrew Williams, does take an expected stance which at least gives the film some bite. The messaging is obvious but it does navigate the complexity of movements and the various conflicting perspectives that can be counterproductive. This internal conflict amongst the antagonists does add some layers to the film and even delivers some shocking moments as well. Cleaner does delve into more personal elements for our protagonist which adds some layers like the connection between Ridley’s Joey and one of the main antagonists. There is also the layer of Joey’s autistic (which is not made to be a large element of the plot) brother being caught in this scenario as well. Their sibling dynamic adds some extra emotion. The film does get a little too convoluted with how many characters are introduced and the runtime might have been a bit too lean to deepen some of these added threads.

Who is the real star of Cleaner? Ridley. Most will know her as just Rey from Star Wars, but Ridley has shown in her non-Star Wars work that she is a talented and charismatic performer. She adds a lot to this soldier turned cleaner character. You feel her love for her brother while also delivering the fear of the situation in her facial expressions. An expressive and physical performance goes a long way in making action films work and Ridley delivers here. Clive Owen is a big veteran name thrown into the fray and delivers some presence (even if his runtime is a lot smaller than you might expect). The real antagonistic force of the narrative is brought to life by Taz Skylar who delivers some solid charisma despite portraying a thinly written environmental terrorist. There are not too many other performers who standout but at least they deliver what is needed for the film.

Is Cleaner going to be one of the top action/thrillers of the year? Probably not. Does Cleaner deliver a lean and thrilling experience anchored down by a charismatic leading performance? Now THAT is true. It is good to see Ridley getting some space to shine in this sleekly crafted action/thriller from a veteran filmmaker like Campbell.