Clean

CLEAN is a tense family drama about police officer Mathieu (45), whose life is upended when his estranged brother Timo (37), a heroin addict, crashes the family’s Christmas dinner. Their mother, Veerle (65), stays cold; their father Rudy (70) condemns Timo as filthy. When Veerle catches Timo shooting up in the bathroom, Mathieu is forced to intervene—tearing open old wounds and dividing the family. Rudy pushes for Timo’s institutionalization, but Mathieu hesitates. His brother’s return, after a three-year disappearance, threatens not only family stability but Mathieu’s own rising career in the police force fighting the War on Drugs. His wife Myriam, a criminal prosecutor, wants to protect the children—and their reputation. When Timo is arrested during a drug bust, Mathieu finds himself cornered. His unit is hunting a new heroin dealer whose lethal product is killing users. Timo knows the dealer—but if he talks, everyone close to him, including Mathieu, could be in danger.
Does Mathieu choose his family, his duty, or his brother? Believing he can “fix” Timo, Mathieu locks him in a remote cabin for a brutal cold turkey detox. But this act of control spirals. Fearing relapse, Mathieu imprisons Timo in their home’s basement. The family fractures. His career unravels. His belief in punishment and order collapses. Meanwhile, Mathieu shields Timo from the police force, who see him as a pawn to catch the dealer. When Mathieu presents a “clean” Timo at a family dinner, the moment backfires—Timo feels used, not loved. He runs. Chasing his brother into the dark alleys of Brussels, Mathieu stumbles into the dealer’s den. Suspecting betrayal, the dealer forces Mathieu to inject heroin—administered by Timo.

CLEAN is a dark, emotional journey about loyalty, trauma, and the limits of control. At its core, it questions how we treat addicts—not just as criminals, but as human beings.