Daisy Ridley’s action thriller, which has been compared toDie Hard, has become a streaming hit four months after it made just $1 million at the box office. Ridley rose from relative obscurity to superstardom when she was cast as Rey in theStar Warssequel trilogy – headliningThe Force Awakens,The Last Jedi, andThe Rise of Skywalker– and is set to reprise her role in theupcomingNew Jedi Ordermovie. However, since leavingStar Warsbehind, Ridley’s career has seen mixed results otherwise.
FollowingThe Rise of Skywalker, her first few projects, the sci-fi filmChaos Walkingand psychological thrillerThe Marsh King’s Daughter,were both critical and commercial flops. She rebounded with the Sundance dramaSometimes I Think About Dying, delivering a superbly melancholic performance, and continued to turn in strong showings in Disney’sYoung Woman and the Seaand the neo-noir thrillerMagpie. Now,Daisy Ridley’s newDie Hard-like action movieiscontinuing her hot streak, at least on streaming.
Cleaner Becomes A Streaming Hit
It Ranks No. 1 On HBO Max
Cleanerhas become a No. 1 streaming hit. Directed by Martin Campbell, best known for theJames Bond moviesGoldenEyeandCasino Royale,the action thriller stars Daisy Ridley as a former soldier-turned window cleanerwho must save the day after criminal activists hijack a gala, take 300 hostages, and one extremist plans a mass murder to send a message to the world. The cast also includes Oscar nominee Clive Owen (Closer), Taz Skylar,Bridgerton’s Ruth Gemmell, Ray Fearon, and more.
Now, four months after it made just over $1 million at the box office, Daisy Ridley’s newDie Hard-like action movie has become a streaming hit. PerFlixPatrol,Cleanerranks as the No. 1 movie on HBO Maxin the United States on June 17, and has spent two days in the Top 10. It ranks aboveBullet Train,The Alto Knights,Mickey 17,The Hunger Games,Spaceballs,The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,Mountainhead,How to Train Your Dragon, andImplosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster.
What Cleaner’s Streaming Success Means For Daisy Ridley
There’s Interest In Her As An Action Heroine
AfterStar Wars, Daisy Ridley has entered a phase of her career where she isn’t a big box office draw, asCleanermade just $1.3 million, buther presence is enough to attract interest on streaming, as previously seen withYoung Woman and the Sea, which was sent straight to Disney+.Cleanerreviewsaren’t great, indicated by its 52% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising Ridley’s credible action chops and Campbell’s assured direction, but denouncing it for borrowing too heavily fromDie Hard.
$28 million
$1.3 million
52%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
66%
Still, Ridley’s presence and perhaps theDie Hardcomparisons seem to be enough to get audiences streamingCleaneron HBO Max. Furthermore, Ridley is reuniting with Campbell for another action thriller,Dedication. If nothing else,Cleaner, combined with her upcoming roles, could signal a return toRidley’s status as an action heroine.
Cleaner
Cast
Cleaner is an action thriller centered on an ex-soldier turned window cleaner who must rescue 300 hostages from radical activists during an energy company gala. Suspended 50 stories up, she faces a tense situation to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother. Released in 2025, the film builds suspense around themes of heroism and survival.
