Nerdly » ‘The Clean Up Crew’ Review

22nd Aug2024

‘The Clean Up Crew’ Review

by Jim Morazzini

Stars: Melissa Leo, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ekaterina Baker, Swen Temmel, Antonio Banderas, Matthew Tompkins | Written by Matthew Rogers | Directed by Jon Keeyes

If you were part of the clean-up crew taking care of a murder scene, and you found a suitcase full of cash, what would you do? If you have an IQ that’s at least in the double digits or have seen more than a couple of action films, you probably know taking it won’t end well.

But that doesn’t stop Siobhan (Melissa Leo; Deadtime Stories, Thunder Force), the owner of Good Life Cleaners and her crew, Alex (Jonathan Rhys Meyers; Yakuza Princess, Mercy), his girlfriend Megan (Ekaterina Baker; The Tutor, The Comeback Trail) and Chuck (Swen Temmel; Backtrace, Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman) from doing just that when they find a few million in cash stashed in the chimney of the house they’re cleaning up.

That money belongs to Gabriel (Antonio Banderas; The 13th Warrior, The Enforcer) and was meant to pay off some crooked cops until somebody else’s attempt to steal it resulted in a pile of bodies and the bloody mess the trio is cleaning up. Needless to say, both the cops and Gabriel want that money and have no problems killing to get it.

Rather than making The Clean Up Crew a straightforward, gritty thriller, writer Matthew Rogers (The Survivalist, The Collective) and director Jon Keeyes (Doom Room, Cult Killer) have made what the press release refers to as “…is a quirky, fun action movie filled with adrenaline and laughs” which seems to be a rather wordy way of saying that The Clean Up Crew is an action comedy.

Much of that comedy comes from Banderas’s performance as the eccentric, Machiavelli-quoting, crime boss. The character isn’t played as a caricature, he’s just a bit odd, the kind of personality you get when you’re too powerful for people to tell you what you need to hear, but not nearly as smart as you think you are.

In contrast, Alex is absolutely clueless and makes a great contrast to him as he finds himself in the middle of a situation that’s well beyond his understanding. As for Siobhan and Chuck, they’re keeping a few secrets of their own, ones that will come into play after Megan gets taken hostage.

Somewhat surprisingly for a mid-budget movie like this, there is a fair amount of action in The Clean Up Crew. Some of it is shot with a satirical eye, like the riff on Matrix-style shootouts and another takes aim at split-screen scenes. Others, such as the final fight, are played relatively straight.

Rogers and Keeyes manage to keep a good balance between the film’s comic and serious moments. The cast plays along nicely, staying in character and not resorting to obvious parody or winking at the audience, even when the material starts to push the limits of credibility even for comedy. I expected that from the leads, but Swen Temmel, who I’d only seen previously in smaller roles, was quite good here. Also standing out in a smaller part was Matthew Tompkins (The Woman Under the Stage, The Ballad of a Hustler) as Gabriel’s chief goon.

If you’re looking for a bit of light entertainment, The Clean Up Crew should do nicely. There’s enough action and humour to keep your attention through its ninety-five minutes.