Common Sense Media Review
By Brian Costello
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Earnest indie drama has some violence, heavy themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Cleaner
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE CLEANER, Buck (King Orba) is a middle-aged house cleaner in Southern California struggling to make ends meet. He lives in an RV camp next to his ailing mother Sharon (Shelley Long), who suffers from arthritis. As his financial situation grows increasingly dire, he loses one of his oldest customers (Luke Wilson), who tries to make up for it by telling Buck about a neighbor who may be looking for someone to hire. Buck meets with the neighbor, Carlene (Lynda Carter), a former torch singer who wants Buck not for cleaning her house, but to track down her estranged son. Carlene offers him a hefty sum of much-needed money, and so Buck begins the search for Andrew. As the search takes him far outside his comfort zone, Buck gets help from his cop brother Craig, as well as his weed-dealing neighbor James. As Buck learns the real reason why Carlene wants to reunite with her son, he continues his efforts, and a violent altercation with tragic consequences reveals the fragile bonds of family and relationships in the face of past mistakes, shortcomings, and the struggles that so many face in day-to-day life.
Is It Any Good?
This is a powerful and subtle indie-drama on enduring in the midst of economic, physical, and emotional suffering. The Cleaner has all the hallmarks of a successful low-budget indie: understated action, strong character development, relatable characters, strong acting and story that more than make up for limited resources. Through the acting and the action of the story, it doesn't take long to see that most of these characters have seen better days (assuming they even had better days, in some cases), and the setting where most of the action takes place, an RV camp somewhere on the outskirts of Los Angeles, reveals so much about struggling in a reality where the middle class is disappearing fast.
As Buck, the struggling housecleaner given a job he can't refuse, King Orba imbues him with the right level of weariness. The ensemble cast has a ridiculous amount of cameo appearances, and these characters heighten this sense of trying to not only endure in this world, but also to maintain a sense of hope and even dreams for a better life ahead. Like many indie-dramas, this might not be for those looking for lots of action, but 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.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about indie-dramas like The Cleaner. How is this similar to and different from other indie-dramas -- heavy on story if light on budget?
How do the struggles and challenges that the characters face connect to the deeper themes of the story?
How is violence presented in this movie? Is it excessive? Necessary to the story?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 12, 2021
- Cast : King Orba , Shelley Long , Lynda Carter
- Director : Erin Elders
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : 1091 Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : January 12, 2022
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