Warning: This post contains MAJOR spoilers for CleanerCleaner is a new action thriller from Casino Royale director Martin Campbell, and the film’s ending is worth examining in detail. Following a limited theatrical release in only 378 theaters, many audiences have been drawn to the new Daisy Ridley-starring action film since it was released on Max.

While the movie has been described as a Die Hard clone, Cleaner attempts to update its material. While the action is strong, and the film has great polish, it is actually the themes of the story, and how they come to a head in its conclusion, that make Cleaner worth watching.

Cleaner‘s Rotten Tomatoes score is decent, though not great, and much of this has to do with the themes it attempts to confront. Alongside great action, the movie looks at ideas of insтιтutional power and crime. While some of the messages get a bit muddled, it is worth looking back at the story and what it means.

Joey And Michael Escape With The Earth Revolution Leaks

The End Of The Film Sees Villains Exposed On All Sides

The story of Cleaner sees Noah’s anti-humanist forces looking to expose corporate corruption, then kill off everyone in the building. Fortunately, this end was undone by Joey’s actions. Following an intense fight scene against Noah, Joey was able to throw him from the window, strapping his detonator to her own wrist in the process and saving many lives.

Most importantly, though, the ending saw Joey and Hume conspiring to release the recordings gathered throughout the film. When Marcus was leading the group, he began a collection of confessions from all of the corrupted people in the building. Joey and Michael stopped these from being leaked in order to delay Noah’s plan, but the leak itself was still necessary.

The end of the movie saw Joey and Michael being released and escaping with these recordings in their possession. Hume hinted that the tapes might be deleted if they fell into government hands, subtly encouraging Joey and her brother to take them and share them with the world. This finally occurred in the film’s final scene.

Marcus Was Usurped By Noah In A Surprise Twist

Clive Owen’s Marcus Was Not The Villain He Appeared To Be

The movie began with Marcus leading a group of radical ecoactivists into the Agnian building and capturing everyone there. At first, it seems that Marcus will be the villain of the movie; the posters showed his face next to Daisy Ridley’s, and his actions are what have the entire staff of the building held captive.

This becomes reframed when it is seen that the leaders at Agnian are corrupt and twisted, and Marcus does not wish to physically harm any of them. Marcus is willing to take whatever action is required, even including killing, but his wish is only to have these horrible secrets, including several murderous acts, exposed.

Unfortunately, Noah, a member of the group, disagrees with Marcus’ plan. Noah kills one of the Agnian CEOs, and follows this up by killing Marcus. He takes over the activists with his own violence, resisting anyone who stands against him. Campbell spoke about this with The Direct:

When the coup d’etat basically happens, right? And he’s essentially, you know, he’s become the Elon Musk of Trump, hasn’t he? He’s suddenly now in a position where he can fulfill the crazy anti-humanist agenda if you see what I mean. [He’s] prepared to die. [He] absolutely believes in that philosophy and is prepared to kill everybody in order to achieve it.

And yes, he himself will die, but that’s the point. Of course, there’ll be a huge publicity then, the message will be loud and clear. So, I think once he’s actually starting to take control, once he’s got rid of [Clive Owen’s Marcus], I think where that it sort of sets in.

Joey’s Past Helps Her To Fight Back

Both Her Climbing And Her Fighting Have Roots In Joey’s Backstory

Cleaner‘s Die Hard-inspired story begins with Joey in a difficult place. She wakes up late for work and has to pull her autistic brother out of a placement, as he has hacked and exposed terrible actions that his caretakers have taken against their wards. Exhausted and exasperated, Joey faces many challenges that get even worse after arriving at work.

Fortunately, all of Joey’s past contributes to her being able to fight back. The opening of the movie shows a young Joey avoiding her abusive father by sneaking around and escaping out the window. These skills help her in the film when an explosive is lowered onto her scaffold and she is forced to climb the outside of the building.

Joey’s past, training for the military, then becomes an ᴀsset for her. In a misunderstanding, she is nearly ousted from the army, but quits in order to preserve her record. Still, she has significant training in fighting and shooting, and both of these help her as she breaks through the window and fights back against Noah and his cronies.

Cleaner’s Morals Are Complex And Challenging

Cleaner Confronts Ideas Of Corporate Obfuscation And Climate Change

Cleaner does some interesting things with allegiances and morality. Marcus takes drastic and illegal actions to raid the building, but his goals are noble. It is Agnian who are the true villains of the picture, having covered up so much of their crooked and illegal activities.

In order to make the conflict in the film still work, Noah is a necessary character. Driven by hatred, Noah’s violent and sociopathic purging of even the discordant members in his own team highlight the character’s hatred for humanity. Noah wishes to destroy everyone, and finds pleasure in the action of doing so.

Cleaner might bite off a bit more than it could chew here. While the initial conflict that Marcus begins is an empathetic cause, the film needed to have a greater villain that Joey could fight against. Personifying that nihilistic outlook, Taz Skylar’s Noah was a strong villainous force, but seemed to confuse the themes of the film.

Cleaner simultaneously condemns corporate greed and destruction as well as certain acts that fight against it. It is difficult to draw clear lines here, as the film’s dialogue shows that drastic action is the only way Agnian can be held accountable. What that action should be is muddled in the film’s ending, which condemns Noah while supporting the Earth Revolution.

What This Might Mean For A Cleaner Sequel

Joey Is Finally Using Her Skills For Good

The ending of the film opens up a great deal for Joey’s life. After fighting back against the anti-humanist terrorists led by Noah, the final sH๏τ sees Joey and Michael together, having leaked the important Earth Revolution tapes. The details of these are discussed in a voiceover, but they suggest that major changes to the world may follow.

Much of Cleaner‘s story focused on how the executives at Agnian, as well as the members they were connected to in the British government, had covered up many of their misdeeds. Having this information exposed could lead to a sea change in climate change and its perception. Unfortunately, this deviates from the real world, where such details are quickly forgotten.

Joey, however, is now given back some level of her purpose. She is seen at the end of the film reunited with her brother and more deeply connected to him than ever before. While she will not be rich, and while she will still have to struggle, she feels inspired by the use of her abilities.

A sequel to Cleaner does not feel likely at this time, but there is certainly a compelling future ahead. Perhaps Joey will go back to the military and clear her name there as well. She also has connections with Hume, and a future in policing could await. Whatever occurs, Joey has a brighter future than ever before.

Source: The Direct