CLEANER (2025)

Storytellers have been recycling the same old troupes for forever it seems. I imagine that even cave dwellers got a little sick of the same old tales being told by the same old travellers year after year. Still, the Die Hard set-up is a trusty one. From Skyscraper (1996) and Skyscraper (2018) to Sudden Death (1995) and Under Siege (1992) and the four Die Hard sequels, there has been many retellings of the lone wolf must stop the terrorists films. Some good – Die Hard 2 (1990) – and some bad – A Good Day to Die Hard (2013). And so here we are with Cleaner, which just might be the most Die Hard-y one of ’em yet. Beyond the actual franchise I mean. To be honest, the only reason I decided to give it a go was Daisy Ridley being this year’s Bruce Willis stand-in, because the plot sounded too far fetched to be enjoyable. I mean, a highly trained ex-military window cleaner in the wrong place at the wrong time having to save hostages (her brother among them) from a deranged activist/terrorist organization inside a skyscraper; sounds like a parody to me. And yet, Ridley indeed makes it worth it. Yes it’s a tale we’ve seen before, yet Ridley and her autistic brother Michael (Matthew Tuck) bring bare hearts to their strained and complicated relationship. Plus Ridley aces the fight choreography making for the best scenes in the film. Is Cleaner entirely original? No. Is it going to blow your mind? Not if you seen any of the aforementioned films. Are you going to watch it every Christmas like some do the original Die Hard? Probably not, but at just 96 minutes it’s tight and entertaining. Or skip it. You’re safe sitting back and watching the fire until the the next storyteller comes round with a new version to consider. 

WATCH OR NOT: WATCH

Additional musings: This was an interesting choice for Clive Owen. And watch for (what I think is) a fun wink at the famous, “Shoot the glass,” scene from the original Die Hard.