Clean, Shaven

Clean, Shaven

Year: 1993

Runtime: 79 mins

Language: English

Director: Lodge Kerrigan

DramaThrillerCrime

Peter Winter, a young man battling schizophrenia, is determined to reclaim his daughter from her adoptive parents. He struggles to navigate a reality distorted by intrusive voices, blaring electrical noise, unsettling images, and abrupt emotional swings. His pursuit brings him into conflict with the law and entangles him in a murder investigation.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Clean, Shaven (1993)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Clean, Shaven (1993). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1990s

Set in a contemporary early 1990s urban/suburban environment, the story uses hospitals, police work, and domestic spaces to frame Peter's fragile perception. The period's atmosphere emphasizes claustrophobic interiors and a sense of unease that mirrors his mental state. The scenes pivot between public tensions and private turmoil, underscoring the film's gritty realism.

Location

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:29

Main Characters – Clean, Shaven (1993)

Meet the key characters of Clean, Shaven (1993), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Peter Winter (Peter Greene)

Recently released from a mental institution, Peter struggles with perceptual disturbances and a belief in a transmitter under his skin. He is obsessed with finding his daughter Nicole and restoring some sense of order, while his reality is repeatedly distorted by intrusive thoughts. He isolates himself, covering mirrors and encasing his car in newspaper.

🧠 Troubled 🔒 Isolated 🕵️‍♂️ Driven

Nicole Winter (Jennifer MacDonald)

Peter's daughter, who becomes the focal point of his pursuit. Her safety and well‑being are threatened by the unfolding events as Peter's quest collides with the detective's investigation.

💖 Family 🧭 Vulnerable 🧩 Mysterious

Mrs. Winter (Megan Owen)

Peter's mother, who remains distressed by his schizophrenia and treats him as a child. Her protective concern provides emotional tension within the family dynamic.

👵 Family 🧪 Tense 🗝️ Protective

Jack McNally (Robert Albert)

The detective assigned to the case who struggles to find concrete evidence. He pursues Peter as a suspect, and his actions culminate in a tense confrontation around the child.

🕵️‍♂️ Detective 🧭 Persistent ⚖️ Tense

Dr. Michaels (J. Dixon Byrne)

A medical professional encountered in Peter's world, illustrating the role of psychiatric and medical institutions in the narrative.

🏥 Medical 👀 Observant 🧩 Ambiguous

Drunk (Peter Lucas)

A minor, atmospheric presence encountered during Peter's travels, contributing to the film's grim, unstable mood.

🍺 Alcohol 🌀 Foreshadowing 🗝️ Eerie

Melinda Frayne (Molly Castelloe)

A character tied to the murder investigation and its emotional stakes, illustrating the human cost behind the crime.

🔎 Investigation 🧠 Tension 💔 Drama

Girl in Rain (Karen MacDonald)

A girl encountered in the rain who becomes part of the story's haunting atmosphere and the case's human element.

🌧️ Weather 🧒 Youth 🕳️ Mystery

Girl with ball (Alice Levitt)

A young girl seen early in Peter's story, a witness-like figure who hints at the events to come.

🧸 Innocence 👀 Witness 🌀 Foreshadow

Man on Ladder / Man in Jeep (Eliot Rockett)

A minor figure glimpsed in urban settings, reflecting the film's transient, observational mood.

🪜 Observation 🚗 Street life 🎭 Mood

Robber (Rob Benevides)

A minor criminal presence within the film's crime-related subplot.

🗝️ Crime 🕶️ Danger 🧭 Tension

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:29

Major Themes – Clean, Shaven (1993)

Explore the central themes of Clean, Shaven (1993), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧠 Mental Illness

The film centers on schizophrenia and the destabilizing effect it has on Peter's grasp of reality. Hallucinations, intrusive thoughts, and a distrust of his own senses drive his actions and distort what is true. The audience experiences the world as Peter experiences it: fragmented and uncertain.

🔍 Reality vs Illusion

Peter's pursuit of his daughter blends memory, imagination, and real events into a murky narrative. With sparse evidence and shifting perceptions, the line between truth and suspicion remains elusive. The detective's investigation and Peter's vigil become mirror images of each other.

👪 Family & Protection

The central conflict centers on a father's desire to safeguard his daughter, even as his methods blur ethical lines. Family ties are tested by distrust, vulnerability, and the danger surrounding the child. The tension between care and danger drives the drama.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:29

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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 with a fractured perception of reality like Clean, Shaven

Stories where the viewer experiences reality through a disturbed protagonist's mind.If you liked the subjective experience of Clean, Shaven, you'll find more films like it here. These movies, often psychological thrillers or intense dramas, place you directly inside a character's troubled mind, blurring reality and making you question everything you see, just like in Clean, Shaven.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives follow characters whose grip on reality is tenuous. The plot is frequently structured around their subjective experience, with events, sounds, and images filtered through their psychological state. The central conflict is often internal—a battle with perception—while external events amplify the internal chaos, leading to tragic or bleak conclusions.

Why These Movies?

They are grouped together by their primary focus on a subjective, unreliable point of view. They share a commitment to replicating a specific psychological experience for the viewer, prioritizing internal unease over straightforward plotting and using cinematic techniques to convey mental fragmentation.

Bleak and tragic pursuit movies like Clean, Shaven

Heartbreaking stories of a desperate pursuit that ends in unavoidable tragedy.For viewers seeking more films with the desperate, tragic energy of Clean, Shaven. These stories feature protagonists on a heartbreakingly futile mission, facing overwhelming odds and systemic failure, culminating in a devastatingly bleak conclusion similar to the one in Clean, Shaven.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a linear but doomed quest. The protagonist, often isolated or psychologically fragile, is driven by a powerful need. Despite their determination, they are met with insurmountable barriers—be it society, fate, or their own flaws. The structure builds tension toward an inevitable, catastrophic failure that underscores the futility of their struggle.

Why These Movies?

These films are unified by their core narrative arc: a determined pursuit that ends in devastating failure. They share a heavy emotional weight, a tense or melancholic tone, and a commitment to portraying the harsh reality of tragic outcomes, leaving the viewer with a profound sense of sorrow and inevitability.

Unlock the Full Story of Clean, Shaven

Don't stop at just watching — explore Clean, Shaven 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, Shaven is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Clean, Shaven Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Clean, Shaven, 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, Shaven Summary

Clean, Shaven Timeline

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Clean, Shaven Timeline

Clean, Shaven Spoiler-Free Summary

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Clean, Shaven Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Clean, Shaven

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