Clean and Sober Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Clean and Sober Blu-ray Movie Review

Cocaine for breakfast? Yikes.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 1, 2025

This review arrives in the wake of Warner Bros.' recently finalized disc replacement program that restores the film's original stereo track. In the event you received a first-run copy that features DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono (no left/right channel separation), please see my forum post for replacement information.

Michael Keaton's dramatic lead performance in Glenn Gordon Caron's Clean and Sober famously carved a path to Batman the following year, but this intense 1988 drama has a few other tricks up its sleeve. Anchored by supporting performances from the likes of Kathy Baker, Morgan Freeman, and M. Emmet Walsh (playing a much more sympathetic version of his character in the like- minded Straight Time) and a great script by Tod Carroll, it's a searing and realistic examination of one man's struggle to beat drug addiction after a one-night stand finds him at rock bottom.

Or so he thinks. Truth be told, real estate agent Daryl Poynter (Michael Keaton) has a little further down to go even after waking up beside a comatose woman he met the night before. Enjoying a little nose candy before realizing the severity of the situation, Daryl's other problem is that his crippling dependence on cocaine had caused him to embezzle almost $100K from his company to finance both his drug habit and a gambling addiction. The police consider Daryl to be somehow responsible for the woman's condition and advise him not to leave town; his credit card is declined at the airport, and co-worker Martin (Brian Benben) wisely refuses to put him up for a few days. Daryl's ultimate solution is to check himself into rehab -- more so for safety and anonymity than to really get help -- but it's there where he meets a few individuals who end up supporting him in one way or another: rehab counselor Charlie (Morgan Freeman), former addict turned sponsor Richard Dirks (M. Emmet Walsh), and fellow patient Charlie Standers (Kathy Baker).

Not surprisingly, Clean and Sober is not a preachy, plain- wrap production where Daryl's potential path to recovery is smooth and instantaneous after support is established; instead, it shows him to be a man beaten by multiple addictions who, try as he might, won't even admit that he's lost control of life and thus has several relapses. While its tone might unavoidably be a bit homogenous, Clean and Sober is consistently buoyed by the humanity created through each and every performance listed above -- and there are others too -- while it remains something of a tour de force for Michael Keaton himself, who completely inhabits the role and successfully jettisons the overwhelmingly comedic image that was established by earlier films like Night Shift, Mr. Mom, Johnny Dangerously (a personal favorite that I'd love to own on Blu-ray), Gung Ho, and of course Beetlejuice, which arrived only a few months before Clean and Sober.

All things considered, Clean and Sober is the kind of film that speaks for itself, meaning that the lack of bonus features on Warner Archive's welcome new Blu-ray really isn't that much of a problem. As usual, the main selling point here is a fantastic A/V presentation that helps the film feel as authentic and visceral as ever -- this might be a movie that you appreciate more than enjoy and you may not even watch it very often, but you'll still be glad it's on the shelf.

Clean and Sober Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sourced from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative and treated to a round of the boutique label's proprietary manual cleanup process, Clean and Sober may not be pretty but it shines like new here. This is a faithful presentation as the 1080p transfer has all the qualities -- or at least signs -- of a late 1980s production with somewhat chunky but organic grain, while the natural but generally muted color palette matches its realistic tone beat for beat. Fine detail may not be a highlight but Clean and Sober looks consistently crisp, while capable encoding ensures that the film runs at a supportive bit rate from start to finish on this dual-layered disc with no real signs of macro blocking, posterization, or other such eyesores. Age-related wear and tear is basically absent but Clean and Sober still feels like a product of its time; much like the wide majority of WAC Blu-rays covering various decades of WB and MGM's vast back catalogs, this Blu-ray rivals a first run showing and, in some ways, comes out ahead. As usual, then, buy with confidence.

Clean and Sober Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Following a faulty first pressing that condensed Clean and Sober's original stereo audio to 2.0 mono (see above for replacement details), the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track featured here correctly repurposes its original two-channel mix in a proper stereo container. Channel separation isn't aggressive at every turn but occasional vehicle drive-bys, group conversations, and other broader sonic moments open up the soundstage to a decently wide degree. By and large, though, it's weighted toward that of a more central presentation with clean, front-forward dialogue and subtle background ambiance that ramps up during much more dramatically intense moments. The original score by prolific composer Gabriel Yared, who's perhaps better known for his work during the 1990s including The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley, sounds excellent as well. Overall, it's a well-rendered mix that gets the job done.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered during the main feature only.

Clean and Sober Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed cover art. Extras are unfortunately minimal.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:22) - This short promotional piece can also be seen here.

Clean and Sober Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Glenn Gordon Caron's intense 1988 drama Clean and Sober is an early career non-comedic highlight for star Michael Keaton, with supporting performances uniformly following suit and the script by Tod Carroll (who would somehow never write another) providing a solid foundation. That said, this one might be a tough watch for anyone who has dealt with strong addiction -- either first-hand or with a loved one -- but while it isn't as visceral as something like Requiem for a Dream, Clean and Sober feels a lot more grounded and realistic thanks to its more straightforward approach. Warner Archive's welcome Blu-ray resurrects the film for a new generation of viewers to discover with their usual attention to A/V detail, making this an easy recommendation for established fans and a solid blind buy for newcomers.