‘Paul’ review: Denis Côté doc explores the surprising benefits of submissive cleaning

Dir: Denis Côté. Canada. 2025. 87mins

Surrendering control is the one means of taking charge in Paul, Denis Côté’s quirky, non-judgemental documentary which follows a man on a personal journey towards better mental and physical wellbeing. Fighting social anxiety and depression, Paul finds salvation through cleaning homes, especially if they belong to ‘bossy’ women. The hard work, high standards and submissive relationships provide an intriguing backdrop to an endearing portrait of self-realisation that should attract further festival interest, especially from documentary events, following its Berlin Panorama debut.

 An endearing portrait of self-realisation 

Paul describes himself as “morbidly obese, pre-diabetic and terrified to be seen in public”. In his early thirties, he has spent the past decade dealing with a deep depression. Yet there are only the sketchiest of details offered on his past life; Cote chooses to focus on where he goes from here. The Paul we see is full of positivity, and that attitude permeates a documentary that generally embraces the power of change.

Berlin regular Côté (That Kind Of Summer, Social Hygiene) initially establishes Paul as an isolated, solitary figure. We see him in stark white rooms, empty apartments and lengthy corridors. Even outdoors, he wanders quiet Montreal streets covered in pristine white snow. His social interactions come from cleaning homes where he can take pride in his ability to wash dishes, blitz bathrooms and clean cookers until everything sparkles like new.

We also learn that his desire to find the most demanding clients has led him to market himself to dominatrices as Paul The Cleaning Simp. Sporting names like Miss Jasmine, Dahlia Savage and Donut Slut, the women are often shown in profile, reflected in a mirror or just out of frame where they can be heard and not seen. Others are less coy. 

Côté sensitively explores the complex relationships that Paul has developed with his 15 or so clients. He cleans but is also bound and gagged, punished, spanked and told exactly what to do. “I clean houses to serve women, “ he explains, “which gives me pleasure.” Côté seeks out the affection in the relationships. The women are often urging him to exercise more, eat healthily and perform a set of press-ups-or else! Their interest in him as an individual becomes a form of therapy and even, in one case, friendship. 

Paul documents his life in cheerful Instagram posts and videos detailing his weight loss and decreasing feelings of anxiety. The footage from his mobile phone is incorporated into the film, and also reveals the way in which he becomes a more accomplished and thoughtful filmmaker along the way.

Even when he is used as a comfy foot stool by one woman, or made to dress as a unicorn in a Christmas encounter, Paul is never portrayed as an object of ridicule. Côté approaches him with a typically open mind, emphasising his affable nature and the benefits he draws from all his experiences. There are no quick fixes here, just the slow progress that comes from day to day commitment. Paul starts to develop a social media following for his posts and a growing confidence in being himself. Questions are raised over what his clueless family might make of the documentary and Paul merely replies that he will not encourage them to see it.

Paul does meander a little at times and risks becoming repetitive as Paul is once again tied up or restrained. Mostly, however, it remains engaging and offers a persuasive testimony to the sense of empowerment that can come from the unlikeliest of places.