Cleanskin

Cleanskin

Year: 2012

Runtime: 108 mins

Language: English

Director: Hadi Hajaig

CrimeThrillerDrama

While working undercover as a bodyguard for arms dealer Harry, former soldier Ewan finds himself caught in a violent shootout. A member of an Islamic terrorist cell escapes with Harry’s briefcase containing Semtex explosives. Now, Ewan is tasked by his superiors to track down the cell members and recover the stolen explosives, leading him on a dangerous mission filled with peril.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – Cleanskin (2012)

Trace every key event in Cleanskin (2012) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Opening ambush at the bank

Harry and Ewan travel to a bank with a Semtex briefcase. Ash and Paul shadow them; Ash incapacitates Ewan, kills Harry, and takes the briefcase. Ewan manages to shoot Ash in the arm before losing consciousness.

London bank
2

Semtex jacket bombing in London

Ash sews the stolen Semtex into a jacket and gives it to Adel, who detonates it at a popular London restaurant. The attack demonstrates the reach of the terrorists and the first use of the explosives. Ewan is assigned to an off-the-books mission to counter them, with rookie Mark as his aide.

London restaurant
3

Covert mission begins; Rena interrogated

Ewan is tasked by two SIS superiors to pursue the terrorists in a covert operation. He is joined by rookie agent Mark. He interrogates Rena, who reveals that Paul paid her for information about Harry and to unload his gun.

4

Paul kills Rena; Ewan shoots Paul

At Paul's residence, Ewan and Mark attempt to capture him. Paul kills Rena, but Ewan shoots Paul, ending that thread of the pursuit.

Paul's residence
5

Ash and Kate; recruitment flashbacks

At a cafe, Ash sees his former lover Kate. A series of flashbacks reveals his recruitment six years earlier by Nabil's anti-Western student group and his radicalization with Yussif. The flashbacks show Ash's transformation and his early acts of violence.

Six years earlier Café; university and law school
6

Abandoned building interrogation and death

In the present, Ewan and Mark are sent to an abandoned building believed to house a terrorist. Ewan confronts the man; the prisoner begs for mercy, but Ewan burns him to death.

Abandoned building
7

Housing estate pursuit; unknown man killed

While searching, Ewan takes the man's jacket. They reach a housing estate where Ash and another bulky-jacketed man are spotted; the unknown man runs and Ash escapes on a motorcycle. Mark pursues and shoots the man dead.

Housing estate, London
8

SIS closes in on the covert operation

Charlotte informs Ewan and Mark that the SIS has learned of their covert operation and is actively hunting them. The pursuit tightens as the agency closes in on the rogue activists.

SIS briefing room
9

Mark's break-in and death

During a hotel stay, Mark breaks in and tries to kill Ewan, but the attempt fails and Mark dies in the ensuing fight.

Hotel room, London
10

Ewan fights to end the cell

Isolated, Ewan resolves to end the terror cell. Using Mark's earpiece, he discovers that Mark's allies are helping to facilitate the next bombing.

11

Ash with Kate; final mission looms

Ash spends time with Kate. He then leaves her behind to embark on a final suicide mission, signaling his ultimate commitment to the cause.

London
12

Nabil tasks Ash; think tank wedding target

Nabil tasks Ash with killing the head of a pro-Iraqi War think tank at his daughter's wedding in London. Ash records a video explaining his reasons and justifying his planned suicide attack.

London - daughter's wedding
13

Wedding confrontation; Ash is shot; hotel bomb planned

At the wedding reception, Ewan confronts Ash; they fight and Ash is wounded but escapes. Later, Ash, in a waiter disguise, makes his way toward the head table, but Ewan shoots him dead. Meanwhile, a luggage bomb detonates in the hotel lobby, killing Nabil's targets when the bomb is triggered.

Wedding reception and hotel lobby, London
14

Epilogue: Malik, Charlotte, and the cover-up exposed

In the epilogue, Ewan finds a safe deposit box key in the jacket of the man he killed earlier. He discovers a folder and video camera identifying Hussein Malik, an undercover SIS agent. Ewan deduces that Charlotte engineered Malik's death, the assassination attempt, and framed Scott for corruption to cover her tracks. He confronts Charlotte at her countryside mansion and kills her, framing her death as a suicide.

Countryside mansion; SIS offices

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:04

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Cleanskin Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Cleanskin

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Cleanskin

Cleanskin Spoiler-Free Summary

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