‘Manhunt,' ‘Cleaner' and More Streaming Gems

New York Times

3 days ago

'Manhunt' (2017)
Stream it on Netflix.
John Woo has never been shy about the influence of Alfred Hitchcock on his work — the central conflict in his 'Mission: Impossible II' is a direct lift from 'Notorious' — and this fast-paced thriller uses the classic Hitch setup of an innocent man wrongly accused. The protagonist Du Qiu (Zhang Hanyu) isn't a typical Woo man of action; he's a corporate lawyer who finds himself framed for the murder of a mysterious woman after a brief romantic encounter. The ensuing pursuit is a worthy container for Woo's crisp, energetic style, his memorable compositions (including an unforgettable image of a pool of blood spreading across a white wedding dress), and his signature visuals: ingenious shootouts, copious slow motion, motorcycles galore and (of course) lots of doves.
'Cleaner' (2025)
Stream it on HBO Max.
We've seen so many ''Die Hard' on a ____' movies that it was probably inevitable that they'd circle back to ''Die Hard' in a building.' That's the setup for this action thriller from the director Martin Campbell (who rebooted the Bond series twice, with 'Goldeneye' and 'Casino Royale'), in which a window cleaner (a muscular Daisy Ridley) is outside a London skyscraper when environmental terrorists crash an energy company's celebratory gala and take its execs and employees hostage. 'Cleaner' draws on many of the narrative beats of its inspiration, but also subverts them in unexpected ways — particularly in its use of Clive Owen as the Alan Rickman-style erudite villain. The primary draw, however, is Ridley, whose character is no mere window cleaner but a 'classic unstable ex-soldier.' She thus proves a more than credible action hero, particularly when she finally gets to let loose and break some necks in the fast-paced third act.
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