Let’s be honest—when an action thriller drops with a premise involving hostages, terrorists, and an everyday protagonist caught in the crossfire, it’s easy to assume it’ll be another Die Hard clone.  But Cleaner, directed by action veteran Martin Campbell, doesn’t just recycle genre tropes—it injects new energy into the Die Hard in a… formula, proving there’s still plenty of life left in old-school action filmmaking.  With a standout performance from Daisy Ridley and the 81-year-old Campbell’s expert handling of tension and spectacle, this one lands as an unexpected jolt of fun.

The setup is deceptively simple: A radical activist group storms the annual gala of an energy conglomerate, taking 300 attendees hostage.  What begins as an ideological standoff quickly spirals out of control when a far more dangerous extremist co-opts their cause.  It’s a good thing Joey Locke (Ridley, Magpie), an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, happens to be on the job when chaos erupts.  With her younger brother, Michael (Matthew Tuck), trapped inside, Joey has no choice but to fight, climb, and strategize her way through a skyscraper swarming with highly trained killers.

Campbell, known for revitalizing Bond twice—first with GoldenEye and then with Casino Royale—brings his signature no-nonsense style to Cleaner.  The action is brutal but precise, the stakes feel real, and the storytelling moves at an unrelenting pace.  Unlike many modern action films that rely on hyperactive editing to mask weak choreography, Cleaner lets its combat sequences stand on their own.  The hand-to-hand fights have weight, the shootouts crackle with intensity, and the high-altitude stunts deliver genuine tension (when the obvious CGI doesn’t get in the way, that is.)

But it’s Ridley who truly elevates the film.  Best known for her time with the Star Wars franchise, she sheds all traces of sci-fi grandeur, delivering a grounded, gritty performance as Joey.  She’s not an indestructible super-soldier or an untrained bystander stumbling into heroism.  She’s competent yet vulnerable, navigating the ordeal with skill and just enough desperation to keep things believable.  Her relationship with Michael, who is autistic, adds a layer of emotional weight rarely seen in action films.  Their bond feels authentic, making Joey’s every choice resonate that much more.

The supporting cast is just as strong.  Clive Owen’s (Gemini Man) Marcus, the extremists’ leader, gives the film a proper villain with enough gravitas to make him memorable.  But it’s Taz Skylar as Noah, his erratic, trigger-happy enforcer, who steals the show—his unpredictability keeps the tension simmering.  Meanwhile, as Superintendent Claire Hume, Ruth Gemmell avoids the tired “bureaucratic obstacle” trope, instead serving as a rational, steadying presence outside the building.

Visually, Cleaner is both breathtaking and occasionally uneven.  The cinematography from Eigil Bryld (No Hard Feelings) captures the claustrophobic intensity inside the skyscraper while delivering some vertigo-inducing exterior shots.  However, certain CGI-heavy moments—especially when characters are clearly standing in front of green-screened cityscapes—slightly break the immersion.  It’s not enough to derail the film, but it’s noticeable.

If you polish it to a fine shine, you’ll see that Cleaner is about survival, resilience, and protecting the ones we love.  It doesn’t rebuild the action-thriller skyscraper with modern flair—but was anyone asking for an extreme makeover? What it does, it does exceptionally well: fast-paced, well-choreographed action, a compelling lead, and just enough emotional depth to keep the stakes personal.  It’s the kind of movie that begs to be seen on the biggest screen possible but still delivers a Friday night adrenaline rush at home.

So yes, you’ve seen this setup before.  But trust me—Cleaner is worth getting your hands dirty for.