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Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of...

25pay1-thumbstandard-v2 Drawing from Margaret Atwood's book, documentarian Jennifer Baichwal examines the role of debt throughout human history. The film holds religion, politics, literature and sociology up to the light, finding every aspect of culture touched by debt.
Netflix Rating: 3.4
NYT Review
“Payback," a documentary by Jennifer Baichwal based on a book by Margaret Atwood, tries to show how debt extends far beyond the domain of money. Read the review
Top Rotten Tomatoes Critics

There's a splendid audacity in Baichwal trying to bring to the screen something as idea-driven as Atwood's book. full review

Mark Feeney, Boston Globe

Baichwal could have devoted a single film to just BP's disgraceful behavior. full review

V.A. Musetto, New York Post

Ultimately, this intriguing but scattershot movie turns on the incompatibility of two worldviews - the corporate-financial vs. the environmental-spiritual. full review

You can't help feeling that the movie owed its subject - and its audience - a bit more. full review

A.O. Scott, New York Times

Cinematic globe-trotting doesn't necessarily trump reading a good book, it turns out; then again, more movies should be burdened with the flaw of being too intellectually curious. full review

Mark Holcomb, Village Voice

Payback is nothing if not brave. full review

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

The compelling human stories are often stalled behind a logjam of interviews with experts and intellectuals that are intended to add perspective but disrupt the movie's flow. full review

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star

A rarefied conceptual docu that will appeal to a limited but highly appreciative audience. full review

Rob Nelson, Variety
Similars Available on Instant
  • Release Year: 2012
  • MPAA Rating: NR
  • Runtime: 82 min
  • Available From: Aug 22, 2012
  • Available Until: Dec 31, 2099
  • Remaining: 31637 days left
  • Queued by: 242 people
Directed By
Jennifer Baichwal
Cast
Margaret Atwood, Raj Patel, Louise Arbour, Conrad Black, Karen Armstrong, William Rees, Lucas Benitez, Gerardo Reyes Chavez, Casi Callaway
Genres