Stars: Daisy Ridley, Matthew Tuck, Clive Owen, Lee Boardman, Rufus Jones, Taz Skylar, Ruth Gemmell | Written by Matthew Orton, Simon Uttley, Paul Andrew Williams | Directed by Martin Campbell

Alright, let’s dive into Cleaner, an action-packed thriller that’s got everyone buzzing this year! Directed by the maestro of high-stakes cinema, Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye), and starring Daisy Ridley in a career-defining role, this movie is a rollercoaster of tension, stunts, and sheer entertainment that demands, no… commands your attention. Buckle up, because I’m about to get into this skyscraper action thriller showdown!

Cleaner kicks off with Joey Locke (Daisy Ridley), a former soldier now scraping by as a window cleaner in London. She’s tough, she’s haunted, and she’s just trying to keep her head down while supporting her autistic younger brother, Michael (Matthew Tuck in a supporting role that’s equal parts tender and heartbreaking). But fate has other plans. While Joey’s dangling 50 stories up on a rickety cleaning rig, a group of eco-terrorists (you read that right “Eco-Terrorists”) storms the headquarters of a shady energy corporation during a glitzy gala, taking 300 hostages. Led by the steely Marcus (Clive Owen) and his volatile second-in-command Noah (Taz Skylar), these radicals mean business, threatening to detonate explosives unless their environmental demands are met. What follows is a nail-biting, Die Hard-inspired race against time as Joey turns her mundane job into a one-woman rescue mission.

Right off the bat, the premise hooks you. It’s got that irresistible “wrong place, wrong time” energy, but with a fresh coat of paint: a female lead, a modern eco-twist, and a vertigo-inducing setting. Campbell knows how to lean into a tried-and-true formula without making it feel stale, and Cleaner thrives on its ability to balance familiarity with unexpected punches.

Let’s talk about Daisy Ridley, because holy shit, she OWNS this movie! As Joey Locke, she’s a force of nature, gritty, determined, and radiating a quiet intensity that explodes into full-on ferocity when the stakes ramp up. Ridley’s physicality is jaw-dropping; she’s scaling the side of a skyscraper, leaping between platforms, and throwing punches like she’s been training for this her whole life. The stunt work here is no joke and rumour has it she did a ton of it herself, and it pays off in spades. You feel every creak of that rickety rig, every desperate lunge across a glass ledge.

But it’s not just the action that makes her shine. Joey’s a complex character: a veteran wrestling with guilt from her past (hinted at through subtle flashbacks), a sister fiercely protective of her vulnerable brother, and a regular person thrust into an extraordinary situation. Ridley nails the emotional beats, especially in quieter moments with Michael, where their bond anchors the chaos. If Star Wars made her a star, Cleaner goes some way to cement her as an action star too. Move over, Bruce Willis, there’s a new skyscraper saviour in town!

No action flick is complete without a worthy adversary, and Cleaner delivers a compelling duo in Marcus and Noah. Clive Owen’s Marcus is the calm, calculated brains of the operation, a man who believes the ends justify the means, delivering chilling monologues about a world on the brink of collapse. Owen’s gravitas keeps the eco-terrorist angle from feeling gimmicky; he’s not just a cartoonish bad guy but a zealot with a twisted moral code. Then there’s Taz Skylar as Noah, the wildcard who’s all raw energy and unhinged rage. Skylar chews the scenery with glee, making Noah the kind of villain you love to hate, one minute he’s cracking dark jokes, and the next he’s rigging explosives with a manic grin. Their dynamic keeps the threat unpredictable, and while the script doesn’t fully flesh out their backstory, the performances carry it through. Particularly Skylar once he is bumped up to main villain status and almost has you forgetting anyone else is even in the flick… Yes, he is that damn good.

The eco-terrorism angle is a bold choice, tapping into real-world anxieties about climate change and corporate greed. Thankfully It’s not too preachy though and Campbell keeps the focus on the action. However, it adds a layer of relevance that elevates Cleaner beyond pure escapism. The energy company’s shady dealings (hinted at but not overexplained) make you question who the real villains are, even if the terrorists’ methods are extreme.

Martin Campbell’s fingerprints are all over Cleaner, and nowhere is that clearer than in the action sequences. This guy knows how to stage a set piece, and the skyscraper setting is a goldmine for vertigo-inducing thrills. Picture this: Joey dangling from a cleaning rig as it sways in the wind, glass shattering around her as she dodges gunfire. Or a brutal hand-to-hand fight in a cramped elevator shaft, where every punch feels visceral. The choreography is tight, the pacing relentless, and the practical effects… oh man, they’re a sight to behold. CGI takes a backseat to real stunts, and it gives the film a grounded, gritty edge that modern blockbusters often lack.

The climax, without spoiling too much, is a masterclass in tension: a race against a ticking clock, a showdown on a glass roof, and a final twist that’ll have you cheering. It’s not subtle, but it’s so darn satisfying that you won’t care. If there’s a nitpick, it’s that some moments stretch plausibility, how many times can Joey fall and still get up? but the adrenaline rush overrides any logic questions.

What keeps Cleaner from being just another action flick is the relationship between Joey and Michael. Matthew Tuck brings a gentle, authentic vulnerability to Michael, whose autism makes him both a target and a motivator for Joey. Their scenes together whether it’s a pre-attack flashback or a desperate mid-film reunion are the emotional glue that holds the mayhem together. It’s not overplayed or manipulative; it’s just enough to make you care. When Joey risks everything to save him, you’re not just rooting for a hero, you’re rooting for a sister.

Okay, it’s not flawless. The screenplay (credited to Simon Uttley and Matthew Feitshans) occasionally stumbles. Some dialogue is clunky, Marcus’s eco-rants can feel like they’re trying too hard, and a few plot points (like how Joey keeps finding convenient tools) are a bit “oh really”. The supporting cast, including a couple of high-falooting corporate execs (Rufus Jones and Lee Boardman) and a plucky tech genius villain (Flavia Watson), really do shine in moments but don’t get much to do, which feels like a missed opportunity. With a lean runtime, the film could’ve slowed down to explore Joey’s past or the terrorists’ motives a bit more. But these are minor gripes in a movie that knows its strengths and plays to them relentlessly.

Cleaner isn’t here to reinvent the wheel—it’s here to spin it at 100 miles an hour and leave you grinning. Martin Campbell delivers a taut, no-frills thriller that’s equal parts homage to Die Hard and a bold showcase for Daisy Ridley’s star power. It’s loud, it’s fun, it’s sweaty, and it’s got just enough heart to stick with you after the credits roll. Is it the deepest film of 2025? Nope. But is it one of the most entertaining? You bet your squeegee it is. Grab some popcorn, turn off your brain, and let Ridley take you on a wild ride up 50 stories of pure action bliss.

**** 4/5

Quiver Distribution released Cleaner in the US cinemas in February. The film comes to Sky Cinema in the UK next month.