Review of Cashback (2007) by Alan T — 30 Dec 2012

Painful, cathartic, and, in the end, deeply rewarding, Cashback is a movie to be felt, not seen. Sean Ellis' story is brilliant--compelling despite its adolescent universality. Emilia Fox plays the female lead perfectly, and Sean Biggerstaff impressed this critic with his portrayal of the main character, a college-aged artist. The original score of Guy Farley perfectly communicates the intense emotions Ellis explores in the film, while Ellis' directing and editing are also superb.

Cashback is a romance-horror movie, a unique blend of crushing, heavy emotion and suspense. Its principal themes--the meaning of beauty, the meaning of love, and the art of the human experience of time--are explored in a new and thoroughly sensitive manner. In the end, this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. I have watched it many, many times, and I am nowhere near done with it. Cashback is rich in a way that standard Hollywood fare is not, and while some viewers may find this film demanding, it is worth every ounce of energy that its viewer is willing to give it. If a picture says a thousand words, Cashback is an encyclopedia of emotional communication, all conveyed in about two hours.