Clean and Sober
A compromised real estate agent uses rehab as a hiding place after a cocaine-related death, only to face the addiction he has spent his life manipulating.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- grim
- unsentimental
- intimate
- serious movie night
- recovery themed viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found the film grim but compelling, praising its unusually direct depiction of surrender and recovery and its strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Daryl checks into rehab primarily to hide from legal consequences, then gradually recognizes the program's personal relevance.
The film focuses on Daryl's difficult movement from manipulation and denial toward sobriety within a rehabilitation program.
Daryl is a dishonest, self-destructive addict whose possible change is complicated by arrogance, criminal exposure, and unstable relationships.
The treatment center concentrates Daryl's interactions with counselor Craig, fellow addict Charlie, and other recovering patients.
Films like Clean and Sober, and why
The Lost Weekend
shared addiction drama, moral deterioration, and difficult path toward recovery
Days of Wine and Roses
shared substance abuse subject, bleak realism, and emotionally demanding character study
Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life
shared 1980s recovery setting, ensemble treatment dynamics, and compassionate but unsentimental drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Glenn Gordon Caron
- Release Date
- 1988-08-10
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (96)
Cast
- Michael Keaton
- Kathy Baker
- Morgan Freeman
- Tate Donovan
- Henry Judd Baker
- Claudia Christian
- J. David Krassner
- Dakin Matthews
- Mary Catherine Martin
- Patricia Quinn
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy 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 Clean and Sober about?
- A compromised real estate agent uses rehab as a hiding place after a cocaine-related death, only to face the addiction he has spent his life manipulating.
- What is Clean and Sober like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Clean and Sober as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Clean and Sober violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Clean and Sober as mild.
- What did critics think of Clean and Sober?
- Critics generally found the film grim but compelling, praising its unusually direct depiction of surrender and recovery and its strong performances.
- Which films are like Clean and Sober?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lost Weekend, Days of Wine and Roses, and Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life.
- How long is Clean and Sober?
- Clean and Sober runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Clean and Sober?
- In United States, Clean and Sober streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
