Clean

Clean

Year: 2022

Runtime: 94 min

Language: English

Director: Paul Solet

Echo Score: 55
DramaCrime

Sandra Pankhurst runs a trauma cleaning business, offering a compassionate service to individuals and families dealing with hoarding, crime scenes, and other difficult situations. Forced to take a leave of absence due to illness, Sandra is compelled to revisit her own painful past and search for her birth mother. Meanwhile, her dedicated team finds unexpected connection and humor as they navigate the challenging and often heartbreaking work, discovering strength and solace in their shared experiences.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Clean yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Clean (2022)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Clean (2022). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

The movie does not specify an exact time period but reflects contemporary issues of urban decay, crime, and struggles faced by individuals in present-day society. As themes of parenthood and redemption surface, it mirrors the challenges of modern life.

Location

Utica, New York

Utica is a city in New York known for its diverse culture and historic architecture. The residential neighborhoods showcase both decay and a sense of community among the residents. In 'Clean', the struggles of urban life are depicted against a backdrop of crime and the determination to overcome personal demons.

🏙️ City 🗑️ Urban 🚧 Neighborhood

Last Updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:43

Main Characters – Clean (2022)

Meet the key characters of Clean (2022), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Clean (Adrien Brody)

Clean is a garbage truck driver steeped in guilt from his past, specifically surrounding the death of his daughter. He attempts to find solace through helping others, particularly Dianda, while also battling his darker memories and instincts. His journey transforms him from a solitary figure into a protective guardian.

🗑️ Garbage Collector 💔 Grieving 🥊 Fighter

Michael (Glenn Fleshler)

Michael is a ruthless figure involved in drug trafficking, embodying the darker side of urban life. His violent tendencies reflect a desperation to hold onto power and control over his criminal enterprise. The depravity of his actions starkly contrasts with Clean’s road to redemption, showcasing the duality of human nature.

💰 Drug Lord 🔪 Violent 🚨 Antagonist

Dianda (Chandler DuPont)

Dianda is a teenage girl navigating her challenging environment while yearning for guidance and support. Her interactions with Clean reveal her vulnerability and the impact of their relationship on both their lives. She symbolizes hope for the future, representing the possibility of healing and redemption.

👧 Youth 💔 Vulnerable 🆘 Seeking Help

Ethel (Michelle Wilson)

Ethel is Dianda's grandmother, who provides a sense of stability in Dianda's life. Her concerns for Dianda’s safety highlight the generational struggles in their environment. She sees the good in Clean and serves as a bridge between the two characters, urging healing and connection.

👵 Grandmother 💖 Caring 🚧 Concerned

Last Updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:43

Major Themes – Clean (2022)

Explore the central themes of Clean (2022), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💔 Loss

Loss permeates the story as Clean grapples with the death of his daughter, which deeply affects his psyche. His guilt drives his actions throughout the film, highlighting the devastating impact of loss on an individual’s life. The theme serves as a catalyst for Clean's journey towards redemption and recovery.

⚔️ Revenge

Revenge is central to Clean’s arc as he seeks to confront the criminals that plague his neighborhood and avenge the wrongs done to his daughter. The film explores the moral complexities of revenge, questioning whether it leads to justice or further violence. Clean’s final confrontation with Michael symbolizes the culmination of his quest for personal justice.

👨‍👧 Fatherhood

The concept of fatherhood is explored through Clean's relationship with Dianda, as he steps into a paternal role amidst his own failures as a father. His attempts to protect her embody his longing for redemption, showing how meaningful connections can emerge from shared pain. The film examines the struggles and responsibilities of fatherhood in the face of adversity.

Last Updated: May 04, 2025 at 18:43

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about professionals in grim worlds like Clean

Stories about people in difficult jobs who discover humanity in the darkest places.If you were fascinated by the trauma cleaning business in Clean, explore more movies like it. These films delve into difficult professions—from crime cleanup to emergency services—where characters confront human fragility and find strength in their shared, challenging experiences.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives often follow a steady pace, balancing the procedural details of a unique profession with deep character studies. The protagonist's professional life serves as a lens to examine broader themes of grief, connection, and personal history, frequently leading to a bittersweet but meaningful resolution.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups films that share a specific setting and character focus: the intersection of a grim, specialized job with a heavy emotional journey. They create a unique mix of melancholy, grit, and unexpected human connection.

Violent redemption stories like Clean

Solitary figures forced back into a violent past to atone for old sins.If you liked the story of a solitary man seeking redemption through violence in Clean, you'll find similar narratives here. Discover movies where broken protagonists are pulled back into crime, using their skills for one last, bloody act of protection that leaves them emotionally scarred but cleansed.

violentgrittymelancholiclonelyredemptivetensegrimcathartic

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a straightforward arc from quiet despair to explosive action. A protagonist burdened by a traumatic past is forced to confront it head-on, often to defend a vulnerable person. The journey is intensely violent and emotionally heavy, leading to an ending that is cathartic but far from a traditional happy conclusion.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a powerful combination of high-intensity violence, heavy emotional weight, and a specific character arc focused on redemption through brutal means. They deliver a gritty, tense, and ultimately bittersweet viewing experience.

Unlock the Full Story of Clean

Don't stop at just watching — explore Clean in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Clean is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Clean Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Clean, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Clean Summary

Clean Timeline

Track the full timeline of Clean with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Clean Timeline

Clean Ending Explained

What really happened at the end of Clean? This detailed ending explained page breaks down final scenes, hidden clues, and alternate interpretations with expert analysis and viewer theories.

Clean Ending Explained

Clean Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Clean that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Clean Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Clean

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Clean: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Clean

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