Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- brooding
- paranoid
- crime thriller night
- mystery movie marathon
What critics said
Critics found a promising contained crime mystery weakened by tangled motivations, excessive visual fussiness, and an implausible climax, despite Samuel L. Jackson's lead performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tom Cutler's profession involves restoring locations after homicides, making cleanup the film's distinctive dramatic entry point.
Tom's crime scene cleanup work leads him to recognize that a supposedly routine job conceals a fabricated crime scene.
The mystery turns on a cover-up and the effort to unravel what happened inside the cleaned house.
Critical reception specifically identifies a fussy, trendy visual style within the film's contained crime-thriller presentation.
Films like Cleaner, and why
The Clearing
shared crime mystery structure, morally compromised characters, and noir atmosphere
The Bone Collector
shared investigative thriller framework, buried wrongdoing, and tense adult drama
The Little Things
shared procedural mystery, urban crime setting, and emphasis on concealed culpability
Movie Details
- Director
- Renny Harlin
- Release Date
- 2007-09-11
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (975)
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Ed Harris
- Eva Mendes
- Luis Guzmán
- Keke Palmer
- Maggie Lawson
- Jose Pablo Cantillo
- Robert Forster
- Terry Milam
- Marc Macaulay
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, Sony Pictures Core 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 Cleaner about?
- A retired police officer who cleans up crime scenes is drawn into a dangerous cover-up when a supposedly routine homicide cleanup proves fraudulent.
- What is Cleaner like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cleaner as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Cleaner violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Cleaner as mild.
- What did critics think of Cleaner?
- Critics found a promising contained crime mystery weakened by tangled motivations, excessive visual fussiness, and an implausible climax, despite Samuel L. Jackson's lead performance.
- Which films are like Cleaner?
- Films with a similar feel include The Clearing, The Bone Collector, and The Little Things.
- How long is Cleaner?
- Cleaner runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cleaner?
- In United States, Cleaner streams on Netflix, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
