Dark City: The Cleaner

I tend to dislike most of the movies and television shows we produce, Once Were Warriors and a few other select few excepting. I'm also a fan of the Dexter series, my wife and I owning this series on DVD even - although that last bonus season ... don't ask.

Dark City The Cleaner is compelling and interesting, whilst light hearted and comedic - with a dark and sinister side to it - most like Dexter, but where Dexter was the kind of Protagonist who was also a bad guy that you liked - DCTC presents a Protagonist who you're not sure if you can like. In fact, everyone feels like a bad guy in this episodic offering.

Because I live in Christchurch, many of the outdoor shots have an air of familiarity for me; and yet I can't relate to this particular vision of Christchurch - and I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

Still I found this to be both funny and dark; and I did manage to enjoy it.

My initial reaction was, oh dear, NZ are trying to replicate Dexter. But then, it kind of got to me. I didn't anticipate the ending of episode one, and I loved it. The idiot serial killer certainly doesn't have the charm of Dexter, but, he is more believable as a serial killer. I mean, come on, Michael C Hall is lovely! This dude, does creepy-weird well. The besotted wanna be girlfriend, heck, who doesn't know a Sally? Joe's love for his goldfish is, believable. And the sex scenes on the bus were howlingly funny.

I could have done without the actual murders, and Melissa's orgasmic delight in them, but otherwise her character was a blast and convincingly played. I felt the humour had shades of Dexter to it. Obviously not as well done, but then, I'm picking, they didn't have the same budget.

As a kiwi, I loved that it was so recognisably Christchurch. I loved the narration/inner monologue from Joe. I hope they don't wreck it (like they did Dexter, those last seasons were not good) by dragging it out too long.

Definitely an acquired taste. I can understand why some will think it's terrible. I found it quirky, and rather fun.

I've tried a lot of TV series from outside the U. S. British dramas, Nordic noirs, Korean thrillers and for whatever reason, most of them don't stick. I don't know if it's the pacing, the humor, or something lost in translation, but nine times out of ten I don't even make it past the second episode. That's why it caught me completely off guard when I stumbled into a series that not only held my attention but had me binging episodes back to back like I was on some sort of entertainment bender.

This show has a vibe that's hard to pin down but easy to enjoy. Think Dexter, but without the moral gymnastics of pretending he only kills serial killers. Instead, this show dives straight into the messy, complex headspace of someone who is, by every definition, a bad person but somehow makes them feel human enough that you can't look away. You're not rooting for them exactly, but you are fascinated by how their brain works and how easily they justify crossing every moral line.

The acting is solid all around, with a cast that knows exactly what kind of show they're in. There's a real sense of timing both comedic and dramatic, that elevates the entire thing. Nobody's overdoing it, and nobody's phoning it in. Every glance, pause, and line delivery is on point. But while the cast deserves credit, the real magic here is in the writing.

This isn't one of those series that relies on cliffhangers like a crutch, tossing in a last second twist just to make sure you watch the next episode. The story is smarter than that. Each episode is layered with tension, character development, and just enough plot movement to keep you invested without feeling manipulated. The writers clearly trust the audience to keep up, and that makes a big difference. You're not being spoon fed information or force fed plot twists. You're being invited to follow along with a character who sees the world through a very warped lens, and whether you like it or not, you start to understand their point of view.

That's where the show really shines. It doesn't make excuses for the bad behavior on screen, but it does make it believable. You see how someone could slowly, step by step, justify terrible things. Not because they're a monster, but because they've built an internal logic that lets them sleep at night. That kind of psychological depth is rare in most shows, especially ones that flirt with the idea of being dark or edgy. This one doesn't flirt, it dives headfirst and takes you with it.

Another thing I appreciated is the balance. It's dark, yes, but it's not grim for the sake of being grim. There's humor sprinkled in, often at unexpected moments, and it never feels forced. It's not laugh out loud funny, but it's clever, just enough to let the pressure out of the room before things get too heavy. And again, that's all down to the writing. These writers know how to pace a story, when to twist the knife, and when to give the audience a breather.

It's also worth mentioning that the series has a strong visual style. Nothing flashy or overly stylized, but there's clearly care put into how each scene is framed, how color and lighting shift with the mood, and how the environment supports the story. It's the kind of show where you feel like everything is intentional, from the music to the wardrobe to the way certain conversations happen in certain places.

In short, this is the rare international series that got everything right for me. It's smart without being pretentious, dark without being bleak, and character driven without losing momentum. It respects the viewer's intelligence and tells a story that's both unsettling and addictive.

If you're like me, someone who's tried to get into non U. S. shows and usually ends up checking your phone halfway through, this might be the one that surprises you. Give it a few episodes. Let it get under your skin. You might just find yourself watching "just one more" until it's two in the morning and you're emotionally compromised in the best way.

I don't know where to start...but the review saying if you like Dexter then you'll like this is stretching the truth... and then some.

The show is about a cleaner that works in a police station but outside office hours he's a serial killer.

And that's where the Dexter similarity ends. Dexter had a likeable protagonist, fantastic writing, great storylines and even though it was far fetched, it almost felt plausible. It also had incredible music.

This is the polar opposite. Awful writing, a stupid and unbelievable protagonist who's so dumb, but has flashes of genius, so it's silly, and the plot holes are insane. Any sensible human, especially if you're male, would fully get this within 5 minutes of episode 2.

In what universe does an active serial killer investigation give unfettered access to a cleaner seeing all files, crime scene photos, and he gets to hear police openly discussing it while he's in the room??

As for Melissa....are you serious???

The other plot holes would be spoilers so I can't say but if you can get to episode 3 then you deserve a pat on the back because it was during this episode I quit so I'd stop constantly shaking my head and rolling my eyes, and asking myself 'What am I doing watching this?'

Terrible, but they get 2 stars cos the music isn't that bad.

This is like a low budget Kiwi version of Dexter, but in Dexter you could root for Dexter because he ws killing off sick serial killer scum like our erstwhile villain main character Joe Middleton. The first person thought narration is even more than in Dexter. This creep takes joy in killing random women who did him no harm. So I feel sort of guilty enjoying this based on the sexual sadism angle. But it has a charm and it also paired him with a female version of him Melissa Flowers who at first literally busted his ball with pliers. Then add Joe's awful mom Evelyn and a decent Christian woman who worked as a maintenance man in the same ChristChurch Police Station as our lead psycho. But instead of being a CSI wonk like Dexter, he is a lowly janitor. But like Dexter, he keeps ahead of the cops due to eavesdropping and snooping around. Like I said befoe, it seems immoral to enjoy a show so amoral and vile like this but it has a droll sense of humor and some interesting characters and plot twists too.