Die Hard Fans Should Check Out This Daisy Ridley Action Movie On HBO Max

After the controversial and oftentimes hated "Star Wars" sequel trilogy, Rey actress Daisy Ridley has had difficulty finding box office and critical success. Dystopian thrillers were outdated by the time the overly grim "Chaos Walking" came out in 2021, the Trudy Ederle biopic "Young Woman and the Sea" was too bland, and the psychological thriller "The Marsh King's Daughter" snoozed audiences rather than intrigued them. Her quietly fragile performance in "Sometimes I Think About Dying" was exquisite, but it was such a tiny indie release and the title might be off-putting to some.

Ridley recently starred in "Cleaner," which did poorly at the box office, earning only $1 million on a $25 million budget. Although it flew under the radar, "Cleaner" deserves far more credit. It's the kind of taut, explosive action flick for grown-ups that doesn't really exist anymore because theatres are bogged down with IP-driven franchises. The plot of terrorists taking hostages in a skyscraper during a corporate party bears a strong resemblance to "Die Hard." Ridley plays an ex-soldier-turned-window-cleaner named Joey who's every bit as badass as John McClane (Bruce Willis), but far more unflappable, with an outer layer of silent steel. But "Cleaner" isn't a carbon copy of "Die Hard," as it brings some edgy twists to the familiar story.

One of the biggest differences between "Die Hard" are the motivations of the main villains. Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) takes over Nakatomi Plaza because he wants to steal $640 million in bearer bonds. Monetary ambitions are par for the course for most movie terrorists. In "Cleaner," Noah (Taz Skylar) acts like a fellow window washer but is secretly part of Earth Revolution, an environmental activist group that is against the Agnian Energy Company working inside the One Canada Square building. The group is initially led by Clive Owen as Marcus Blake, similar to his role in "Inside Man," (one of the best Spike Lee joints) where he also plays the ringleader of a hostage situation. The environmental justice revolutionaries gas everyone who is attending a gala for Agnian Energy and force the higher-ups to confess to the ecological crimes they've committed, accusing them of "raping the planet."

"Cleaner" feels very timely after Luigi Mangione and when the phrase "Eat the Rich" has become so ubiquitous in our current culture. Society has developed a hatred for the billionaires like the ones at Agnian Energy that have supercharged climate change with their unsustainable corporate practices. Therefore, we can understand Noah's perspective, even as it teeters into radicalism and the existential despair of wanting to destroy all of humanity. Is violence the answer? Are these C-suite executives innocent? Do they deserve death? "Cleaner" gives you something to think about, even if it doesn't dig too deep into these moral quandaries.

All of Daisy Ridley's Jedi training made her ready to kick ass in "Cleaner." She scales buildings and fires guns with a tight-jawed resolve, but she also brings a vulnerability to her role as Joey. We learn she has a troubled family history, and Ridley's immense talent helps us explore her character's frustration, guilt, and protective obligation toward her brother who has autism, Michael. "Cleaner" admirably casts Matthew Tuck, who has autism in real life, in the role. It's refreshing to see someone bringing their own experience and an authenticity to this type of part rather than having someone who is not neurodivergent pretending they are.

One of the best parts of "Cleaner" is Joey's relationship with Superintendent Hume, played by a sharp, cucumber-cool Ruth Gemmell. The ladies team up to take down the radicals inside the tower. They proudly declare themselves the "Train Wreck Crew," acknowledging they are stubborn, flawed women—one who quit the army, and one who's already had three marriages. Even though their interactions are mostly surface-level, it's empowering to see strong women at the helm of an action movie, which is typically considered a "male" genre. They are a commanding presence amongst all the narrative curveballs where loyalties change and dangerous motivations are revealed. "Cleaner" is one of the good "Die Hard" knock-offs that is currently available for streaming on HBO Max.