The Cleaner is a 2021 American crime drama film directed by Erin Elders (in his feature directorial debut), who co-wrote the screenplay with King Orba. It stars Orba in the title role, with Shelley Long, Eden Brolin, Shiloh Fernandez, Luke Wilson, and Lynda Carter in supporting roles. It follows a middle-aged house cleaner who gets caught up in a violent crime after being hired to locate a client's estranged son.
Cast
King Orba as Buck Enderly
Shelley Long as Sharon Enderly
Eden Brolin as Becky
Shiloh Fernandez as Andrew Briggs
Luke Wilson as Jim Russell
Lynda Carter as Carlene Briggs
Soleil Moon Frye as Kristi
Noel Gugliemi as Hector
M. C. Gainey as Doug
Mike Starr as Carl
Milena Govich as Vanessa
Heather McComb as Laura Russell
Matty Cardarople as Donny
Oliver Cooper as Busboy
James Paxton as James
Hopper Penn as Trent
Release
On August 12, 2021, it was announced that 1091 Pictures acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. It was released on digital and on demand on October 12, 2021.
Reception
Critical response
Brian Costello of Common Sense Media gave the film 4 stars out of 5 and stated, "The Cleaner reveals once again that solid acting, relatable characters, and a good story can do so much more on a limited budget than a blockbuster movie with a weak story and cliched characters." Roger Moore of Movie Nation gave it 2.5 stars out of 4 and wrote, "It's not a polished jewel, but even in the rough The Cleaner shines, more proof that you don't need to limit yourself to horror to get your first film made." Dennis Schwartz gave the film a grade of B−, calling it "a knucklehead indie noir that's not too good but avoids being bad."
On the other hand, Carla Hay of Culture Mix gave The Cleaner a negative review, describing it as "a ridiculous mess of a story with terrible dialogue, lousy acting and uneven pacing." Hay also noted that "the ending is so cliché" and "it's not enough to cover up all the loose ends and unnecessary scenes that make the movie an insufferable, tangled mess."