Cash Only

Cash Only

Year: 2016

Runtime: 91 min

Language: English

Director: Malik Bader

DramaThrillerCrime

In Detroit, Elvis Martini faces financial ruin when a foreclosed apartment building and mounting debts jeopardize his family’s future. Discovering a stash of stolen cash offers a desperate opportunity to pay off his creditors, but it also draws the attention of a dangerous individual seeking retribution. With his daughter’s safety at stake, Elvis must urgently raise $25,000 – in cash only – within 24 hours to protect everything he holds dear.

Cash Only (2016) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Cash Only (2016) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the rust‑streaked neighborhoods of Detroit, a looming foreclosure threatens more than just brick and mortar—it puts an entire family on the brink. The city’s gritty rhythm pulses through cramped apartments and aging streets, a backdrop where survival often means balancing on a knife‑edge of bills, obligations, and the ever‑present whisper of debt. Here, ordinary life is colored by the relentless pressure of a financial system that offers no mercy, and every decision feels weighted by the cost of staying afloat.

Elvis Martini is a landlord trying to keep his world from collapsing. He juggles the responsibilities of raising his daughter alone while grappling with mounting obligations that could strip away everything he has worked for. When a sudden, unexpected opportunity surfaces—a hidden stash of cash that could settle his most pressing dues—it also opens a door to a far more dangerous set of expectations. The urgency of his situation is amplified by a tight deadline: he must gather $25,000 in cash, and he has only 24 hours to do it.

The film paints a portrait of a man caught in a web of uneasy alliances and strained relationships. Tenants, each carrying their own struggles, become part of an intricate, uneasy dance where every interaction hints at deeper, unspoken tensions. The atmosphere is thick with suspense, as unseen forces hover on the periphery, ready to exploit any misstep. The tone oscillates between the intimate moments of a father’s devotion and the cold, calculating world of street‑level economics, creating a sense of claustrophobic urgency.

As the clock ticks, the stakes rise with each passing minute. The requirement of “cash only” transforms a simple financial shortfall into a high‑risk gamble, forcing Elvis to confront what he’s willing to sacrifice for his daughter’s future. The film’s style is raw and unflinching, immersing the audience in a relentless chase against time where every choice could mean salvation—or loss.

Last Updated: October 05, 2025 at 16:55

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Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

24-Hour Urban Thrillers Like Cash Only

Desperate characters forced into a moral abyss by a rapidly approaching deadline.These movies are like Cash Only if you enjoyed the high-pressure, time-sensitive narrative. Discover similar gritty crime stories set against an urban backdrop, where desperate characters face impossible moral choices under a ticking clock.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically begin with a seemingly insurmountable crisis—often financial or a threat to family—that gives the protagonist a matter of hours to find a solution. The plot is linear and propulsive, driven by a cascade of tense encounters and risky decisions that strip away the character's morality, culminating in a confrontation where the cost of survival is laid bare.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together for their shared engine of relentless pacing, born from a fixed deadline, and their consistent atmosphere of urban grit and desperation. They explore the theme of how extreme pressure can corrupt even the most well-intentioned individuals.

Moral Collapse Dramas Like Cash Only

Ordinary people pushed to criminal extremes by the crushing weight of debt.If you liked Cash Only's exploration of a good man's descent into crime due to financial ruin, these movies share that theme. They are dramatic stories about parental sacrifice, moral decay, and the extreme lengths taken when backed against a wall by debt.

desperatemorally ambiguousgrittyanxiousheavysombertragicoppressive

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a relatable protagonist facing absolute financial collapse, often tied to providing for a family. A seemingly easy, illegal solution presents itself, initiating a chain of events that forces the character deeper into a criminal underworld. The journey is defined by a series of compromises, each chipping away at their former self, leading to a somber resolution where survival is achieved at a great spiritual cost.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are connected by their profound focus on the theme of economic despair as a catalyst for moral failure. They share a heavy emotional weight, a dark tone, and a central character arc that charts a descent from decency into desperation.

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Cash Only Summary

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Cash Only Summary

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Cash Only Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Cash Only

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Cash Only

More About Cash Only

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