Netflix Instant Not Pick of the Week: Cashback

May 17, 2011 by Kelly

Posted under: Netflix Instant Pick of the Week

Cashback (2006) is a bit of an odd movie that isn’t really what you expect after a glance at the cover image on the instant queue. For some reason it looked interesting to me.

After a traumatic break-up (his ex throws their Ikea lamp at his head), Ben Willis (Sean Biggerstaff) becomes immune to sleep, in true Fight Club (1999) style, he finds himself with eight extra hours everyday, so he takes a job at a grocery store as a way of getting a “cashback” by trading his extra hours. The artistry in which the grocery store setting is handled is very Updike’s “A&P.”

Though it’s interesting and I liked the creative cinematography, I have to admit that I found it pretty dull, and it basically reminded me of a less-funny version of Waiting (2005) or Employee of the Month (2006), when it was basically trying to be Life is Beautiful (1997) with it’s quirky cinematography, but failing. It also can’t seem to decide if it’s an artsy film or a comedy, and it fails as a comedy. (And it’s a little too interested in the female form for my taste but I imagine guys might like that. Maybe the cover should’ve tipped me off to that?)

So since I’ve given you one to avoid instead of a pick, I think you can’t go wrong streaming the entire Battlestar Galactica (2004–2006) series (have I already said that before? No, it can’t be said enough) or watching the first Glee season (2009) on Netflix Instant.

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Tags: Austin Chickster, Boob Tube, Cashback, Chickster, Chickstermag, Kelly E. Lindner, netflix instant

8 Comments + Add Comment

Cynthia May 17, 2011 at 10:22 am

I’ve seen this too and also was not crazy about it. While the story was slow and plodding, I did like the “time freezing” cinematography. I was expecting it to be a bit more like “The Girlfriend Experience” with a cover like that…
Shelby May 17, 2011 at 10:40 am

I’ve never heard of this movie, but I looked it up on imdb and Sean Biggerstaff is the Scottish actor who played Oliver Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, in the Harry Potter movies. I love Scottish accents.

Cynthia, have you seen The Girlfriend Experience? I think it’s on Instant too, and I’ve always been curious.
kelly May 17, 2011 at 10:55 am

The Girlfriend Experience does sound interesting. I’ll have to check that one out. For some reason I looked at the cover of this movie and thought it was about a prostitute with an interesting return policy: when you complain you got “cash back.” For some reason I even though I had read that somewhere and thought, what an interesting idea for a movie. I don’t know how my mind came to any of these conclusions. I mean, why would that make a good movie, necessarily? Either way, I did not expect what was delivered and found it mediocre.
Cynthia May 17, 2011 at 11:31 am

I don’t recommend the Girlfriend Experience either! It’s also very slow and actually pretty tame for all the hype. Secret Diary of a Call Girl is way more entertaining and salacious.
Shelby May 17, 2011 at 11:46 am

I love Secret Diary of a Call Girl, although in order to maintain that love, I have to pretend the final season didn’t happen. Not a fan of that one.
kelly May 17, 2011 at 2:13 pm

So Season Three is now available to stream? I loved one and two! Sad that the last one isn’t good!
Shelby May 17, 2011 at 2:30 pm

S3 is really good (not sure if it’s streaming), but S4 (the final season, and the one I’m pretending no longer exists) aired in the UK earlier this year, and I watched that through means that may or may not have been legal.
Jamie May 21, 2011 at 1:30 am

I think this has been in my instant queue for 6 months now. I guess i thought it looked interesting enough to put in my queue, but never thought it seemed interesting enough to actually watch. I guess i can take it off now.