Sean Bean’s 2012 action thriller Cleanskin is enjoying a surprise resurgence after landing on Netflix UK, climbing to No. 2 on the platform’s streaming chart just days after its release.
The gripping thriller stars Bean as a British intelligence operative assigned to track down a terrorist network operating in London, plunging him into a dangerous mission where loyalties are constantly tested.
Written, directed and produced by Hadi Hajaig, Cleanskin features a strong British ensemble cast alongside Bean, including Abhin Galeya, Tuppence Middleton, Charlotte Rampling, James Fox, Shivani Ghai and former EastEnders star Michelle Ryan.
The film currently holds a 6.2/10 rating on IMDb from more than 22,000 user reviews, with one viewer praising it as “an excellent British movie” and awarding it an impressive 9 out of 10.
Audience reactions have been largely positive, with many viewers saying Cleanskin exceeded their expectations.
One IMDb reviewer wrote: “This movie pleasantly surprised me. I expected a fairly straightforward ‘catch the terrorists’ action film, but instead got a thriller that explored its characters’ motivations while still delivering the pace and tension of an action movie.”
Another praised the film as “a real quality thriller,” adding that its “intelligent twists” lingered long after the credits rolled.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Cleanskin holds a 53% critics’ score. While Variety acknowledged the film’s ambition, noting that “the execution isn’t as smooth or detailed as it might have been,” ViewLondon was more enthusiastic, describing it as “a trashily enjoyable thriller” elevated by strong performances, effective use of its modest budget and several bone-crunching action sequences.
Not every review was glowing, however. Radio Times acknowledged the film’s ambition and praised several of its standout fight sequences, but argued that it ultimately fell short of becoming a defining action vehicle for Sean Bean.
“The film certainly has ambition and there are some memorable fight scenes,” the review noted, “but it lacks the extra spark that could have done for Bean’s action-movie career what Taken did for Liam Neeson.”
Cleanskin is available to stream on Netflix.
