When it was announced that Daisy Ridley would star in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” few were familiar with the British actress chosen to portray the Jedi-in-training, Rey. At that point, Ridley was a newcomer with a limited portfolio, predominantly featuring minor roles — some even without dialogue — in individual episodes of UK TV series like “Casualty,” “Toasts of London,” and “Mr. Selfridge.” With such a significant role in a blockbuster film series, many likely anticipated that Ridley would become the next prominent British talent in Hollywood.

Regrettably, despite headlining the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy, Daisy Ridley has faced challenges in securing successful follow-up roles. The most notable movie she participated in post-2015 was “Murder on the Orient Express,” the first project she undertook after “The Force Awakens.” In the ensuing eight years, however, she’s experienced a series of underwhelming releases. Indeed, several of her later films haven’t even been widely distributed. Her most notable role was in the critically panned post-apocalyptic sci-fi action film “Chaos Walking,” while lesser-known films like “Sometimes I Think About Dying,” “Magpie,” and “Young Woman and the Sea” struggled at the box office — films few watched, let alone recognized.

Yet, in 2025, her newest venture, “Cleaner,” is garnering attention. Although it did not break box office records and largely went unnoticed upon its theatrical release — likely due to its limited distribution — it’s unexpectedly drawing significant viewership on Netflix.

Released more widely in Ridley’s native United Kingdom, “Cleaner” barely scraped together $400,000 in the U.S., so it’s no surprise that most people stateside were unfamiliar with it. But now that it’s on Netflix, it’s finally finding its audience, and people are raving about it. It’s even entered Netflix’s Top 10 movies, months after it flopped in theaters.

Directed by “Goldeneye” helmer Martin Campbell, “Cleaner” features Ridley in the role of Joey Locke, a former British Special Forces agent who now works as a window cleaner after quitting the service. While she’s on the job with her brother in tow, a group of violent radicals called Earth Revolution — led by a ruthless madman played by Clive Owen — execute a deadly assault on the building where Locke is working. With her brother caught in the crossfire, the former soldier takes it upon herself to stop the carnage and thwart the terrorists’ takeover.

Despite a modest 52% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie’s success on Netflix has led to a much higher audience rating. Likened to a modern-day “Die Hard,” fans are praising the movie’s solid action sequences and surprising twists and turns. It even reached the top of Netflix’s rankings, peaking at #1, putting Ridley back in the spotlight and giving fans a tantalizing glimpse of what could have been had she continued on the career trajectory many had predicted after “The Force Awakens.”

Since “The Force Awakens,” Ridley hasn’t had the best run of movie luck, but if “Cleaner” reaching #1 on Netflix proves anything, it’s that audiences are willing to tune on to watch her in something great. With so many flops on her resume, it seemed like Tinseltown had moved on from her. But could this movie’s success on streaming turn heads in Hollywood and get her back into the spotlight?

In 2023, fans learned that Ridley would return to a galaxy far, far away when it was announced at Star Wars Celebration that she would lead a new “Star Wars” film — and possibly a series of them — centered on her character, Rey, as she works to rebuild the Jedi order. As of 2025, however, the project is rumored to have been put on hold as Disney and Lucasfilm continue to struggle with how best to revive “Star Wars” at the theater. With Ridley back in the news with a hit on streaming, it’s possible that the decision-makers could rethink the project yet again, as fans are showing that they want to see the young actor back on their screens. At the very least, “Cleaner” could mark a shift for Ridley, as studios finally recognize that her star power and talent can combine with a solid idea to make a movie that people love.