Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- darkly tender
- witty
- melancholic
- quiet evening
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film endearing and funny, with lively performances—especially from Amy Adams and Emily Blunt—helping overcome a familiar and sometimes sentimental plot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rose and Norah create Sunshine Cleaners to address Rose's financial need, turning family dysfunction and economic pressure into a joint crime-scene-cleaning business.
The sisters clean locations marked by suicides, unattended deaths, and other tragedies while the film balances disturbing work with lively interpersonal comedy.
Norah bonds with the deceased and their spaces, while the sisters' own unresolved grief over their mother's death shapes their responses to crime-scene cleanup.
The story places a struggling single mother, an unemployed sister, and their quirky father in Albuquerque while emphasizing low-income work and limited opportunity.
Films like Sunshine Cleaning, and why
Little Miss Sunshine
shares an offbeat independent comedy-drama tone, emotionally complicated family relationships, and a focus on women navigating financial and personal pressures
The Skeleton Twins
shares a warm but melancholy sibling-centered drama, understated humor, and characters rebuilding their lives after family loss
Waitress
shares an independent comedy-drama blend, blue-collar family tension, and resilient female protagonists confronting difficult circumstances
The Savages
Movie Details
- Director
- Christine Jeffs
- Release Date
- 2008-01-18
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (873)
Cast
- Amy Adams
- Emily Blunt
- Steve Zahn
- Alan Arkin
- Clifton Collins Jr.
- Eric Christian Olsen
- Kevin Chapman
- Jason Spevack
- Mary Lynn Rajskub
- Paul Dooley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sunshine Cleaning about?
- Two estranged sisters turn crime-scene cleanup into an unlikely family business while confronting the grief and financial strain that have kept them stuck.
- What is Sunshine Cleaning like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sunshine Cleaning as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Sunshine Cleaning violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Sunshine Cleaning.
- What did critics think of Sunshine Cleaning?
- Critics generally found the film endearing and funny, with lively performances—especially from Amy Adams and Emily Blunt—helping overcome a familiar and sometimes sentimental plot.
- Which films are like Sunshine Cleaning?
- Films with a similar feel include Little Miss Sunshine, The Skeleton Twins, Waitress, and The Savages.
- How long is Sunshine Cleaning?
- Sunshine Cleaning runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sunshine Cleaning?
- In United States, Sunshine Cleaning streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel.
