Sergeant Kevin Simmers is a man balancing on the knife’s edge of two disparate worlds. At work, Kevin is a hero drug cop “cleaning up the streets” of Hagerstown, Maryland, a major stop on the Heroin Highway. At home, he’s a desperate father grappling with his 19-year-old daughter Brooke’s worsening addiction to pain meds. As Brooke’s Percocet dependency escalates into heroin addiction, Kevin is forced to reckon with his own dogmatic approach to drug enforcement; a viewpoint shaped by America’s “war on drugs,” one where criminal convictions trump treatment. 

In this moving drama based on a true story, director Jake Allyn brings pathos and empathy to a subject that cuts to the heart of America’s drug crisis. Zach Braff delivers a sobering portrayal of a desperate man divided by his strict police code and his love for his daughter, played by Esther McGregor (whose heartwrenching performance marks her as a young actor to watch). At its heart, Clean Hands isn’t just about the devastating effects of addiction — it’s about the vital importance of empathy and the unbreakable bond between parent and child.—Isobel Houseman