Directed by Sean Ellis
Produced by Lene Bausager
Music by Rick Astley
Cashback is a quirky, comic short film that follows the life of Ben (played by Sean Biggerstaff), a young art student stuck working late-night shifts at a supermarket. Surrounded by a madcap group of colleagues, including two prank-loving young men and his narcissistic boss Jenkins (played brilliantly by Stuart Goodwin), Ben finds his mundane life increasingly suffocating.
Though his job is dull, Ben’s vivid imagination offers a welcome escape. As the night drags on, he invents creative ways to deal with the excruciatingly slow passage of time. But things soon take an unexpected turn—what starts as a comedic look at life in retail dives deep into metaphysical themes like time and beauty. The film features impressive special effects and clever camera techniques that bring Ben’s wild fantasies to life.
Emilia Fox plays Sharon, a cashier who becomes the target of Jenkins’s unwanted attention. In Ben’s imagined world, where time can be stopped and the world frozen in place, he gets the chance to exact revenge on Jenkins and fulfill a long-held desire.
Although it got mixed reviews, Cashback was a big success at short film festivals, and was subsequently made into a full-length feature. The short won Best European Short Film Festival (Grand Prix) and the Tribeca Film Festival Best Narrative Short amongst many others. 80s music enthusiasts will no doubt be delighted to know that the soundtrack for this film was composed by Rick Astley.
Cashback is deep exploration of time, beauty, and redemption, packed with fun and thoughtful moments.
