‘Cleaner’ review: Daisy Ridley and Clive Owen lead wobbly skyscraper thriller

Dir: Martin Campbell. UK. 2024. 97mins

Daisy Ridley hangs round, actually, for many of Cleaner, an underwhelming action-thriller through which she performs a skyscraper window cleaner stranded on a cradle excessive above the bottom as terrorists over-run the constructing along with her autistic brother inside. Many will make unflattering comparisons to Die Arduous, regardless of veteran motion director Martin Campbel’s makes an attempt to offer the acquainted proceedings a easy, barely cheeky effectivity.  Cleaner opens within the US on February 21, catering to audiences bored with Captain America: Courageous New World, though this movie’s  plot-hole-laden script and cliched characters received’t assist. 

Contrivances abound

Ridley has had problem capitalising on her position within the current Star Wars trilogy on the large display and Cleaner, through which she performs a former soldier kicked out of the army now working in London as a window-cleaner, is extra more likely to work on streaming than theatrical. Her character, Joey, desperately wants the job to assist help her brother Michael (Matthew Tuck) who has simply been evicted from one more care residence. Asking Michael to attend for her within the foyer of One Canada Sq., Joey begins washing the tower’s home windows — unaware that, inside, an eco-terrorist organisation named Earth Revolution, led by Marcus (Clive Owen), has simply infiltrated a lavish gala for a wealthy power firm, taking everybody hostage. 

Campbell (On line casino Royale, Goldeneye) leans into the story’s absurdities, inviting the viewers to not take this popcorn fare too severely. Contrivances abound. Joey simply occurs to be an skilled shot and fighter, which makes her a really perfect bystander to tackle a workforce of well-armed thugs. Likewise, her brother could also be autistic however he’s additionally a pc whiz, a vital talent when overriding the constructing’s safety methods. Joey additionally has a melodramatic backstory which dovetails tidily with the problem in entrance of her. 

However for all of the methods through which the movie remembers Die Arduous, Cleaner lacks two of that motion traditional’s most vital parts: a way of enjoyable and bonafide stakes. Throughout a lot of the image’s preliminary two-thirds, Joey dangles on the wobbly cradle, frantically attempting to get assist with out the good thing about a cellular phone. Ultimately, she makes contact with Superintendent Hume (Ruth Gemmell), who spearheads the hostage negotiation from the bottom. However Campbell not often capitalises on Joey’s vertigo-inducing dilemma — the mediocre results are by no means convincing, and Cleaner’s low finances can clearly be seen.

Ridley’s spiky sense of humour is a balm, particularly early on when Joey interacts along with her brother, however the script’s formulaic nature proves an excessive amount of. The rudimentary dialogue prevents Ridley from crafting a compelling presence, and when Joey lastly will get an opportunity to battle the terrorists hand at hand in a humdrum finale, the battle sequences fail to fulfill.

Owen brings distinguished menace to his position as an idealistic activist who needs to halt world warming. Quickly, although, Marcus will face opposition from considered one of his lieutenants, Noah (Taz Skylar), who advocates that solely by killing these high-profile firm executives will they obtain their targets. Their eventual showdown results in Cleaner’s greatest twist, though this too falls flat. Regardless of being light-weight leisure, Campbell’s movie does attempt to state the urgency of defending our planet’s endangered ecosystem. Maybe this explains why Cleaner appears so invested in recycling each side of itself.