Daisy Ridley may still be best known for her role as Rey in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but her post-galactic career has been a mixed bag. After the divisive The Rise of Skywalker, she tried to launch a franchise with Chaos Walking—a film that stumbled both critically and commercially. Since then, she's been picking smaller, more eclectic projects, but none have really caught fire. That might change with her latest action thriller, Cleaner, which is now available to stream on HBO Max.
Directed by Martin Campbell—the man behind two of the best Bond reboots, GoldenEye and Casino Royale—Cleaner is a taut, single-location thriller that feels like a throwback to the '90s. Ridley plays Joey, a former soldier who now works as a window cleaner on a high-rise in London. When a group of eco-terrorists takes over the building, she's left dangling outside, forced to use her military training to stop them from the outside in.
The film also stars Clive Owen as the leader of the radical environmental group, who targets a corporation accused of environmental crimes. It's a setup that invites comparisons to Die Hard and Olympus Has Fallen—both of which feature a lone hero trapped in a confined space against overwhelming odds. While Cleaner doesn't reinvent the wheel, it delivers solid tension and a credible physical performance from Ridley.
Despite its modest $25 million budget, Cleaner barely made a dent at the box office, grossing just $1 million worldwide. Critics were split, giving it a 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. The consensus notes that Ridley's action chops and Campbell's direction keep it from being a mess, but it borrows too heavily from better predecessors to have its own identity. Still, for fans of Ridley or Campbell, it's a worthwhile watch—especially now that it's streaming.
If you're in the mood for more overlooked gems, HBO Max also has Dead of Winter starring Emma Thompson, the critically acclaimed Lurker, and the M. Night Shyamalan-produced Caddo Lake. And for those who love a good underdog action story, check out our list of overlooked revenge thrillers that are quietly dominating streaming.
Ridley's next big project is Ebenezer, Ti West's reimagining of A Christmas Carol, which also marks Johnny Depp's comeback. That's slated for later this year. Until then, Cleaner is a solid way to see Ridley in a different kind of action role—one that doesn't involve a lightsaber.
For more on Ridley's career and other underrated action flicks, stay tuned to Collider.
