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The Ref

The Ref

Comedy · Crime · Drama · 1994

A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.

Movie details

The Ref

“They might be his hostages but what they're doing to this guy is criminal.”

1994 Comedy · Crime · Drama 1h 37m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

6.9 / 10

27.6K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

73 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

59 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Ref?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Thin Ice

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Upon his release from a mental hospital following a nervous breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins his friend Dignan, who seems far less sane than the former. Dignan has hatched a harebrained scheme for an as-yet-unspecified crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the (supposedly) legendary Mr. Henry.

Bad Santa

Bad Santa

Drama · 2003

You'd better watch out - Willie T. Soke is coming to town, and he doesn't care if you've been naughty or nice. Willie's favorite holiday tradition is to fill his sacks with loot lifted from shopping malls across the country. But this year his plot gets derailed by a wisecracking store detective, a sexy bartender, and a kid who's convinced Willie is the real Santa Claus.

The Drop

The Drop

Drama · 2014

Bob Saginowski finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry and entwined in an investigation that digs deep into the neighborhood's past where friends, families, and foes all work together to make a living - no matter the cost.

Cleveland Abduction

Cleveland Abduction

Crime · 2015

A single mother becomes Ariel Castro's first kidnapping victim, and finds herself trapped in his home with two other women for 11 years.

Family Weekend

Family Weekend

Comedy · 2013

A 16-year-old girl takes her parents hostage after they miss her big jump-roping competition.

Fargo

Fargo

Crime · 1996

Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!

Affliction

Affliction

Crime · 1998

A small town policeman must investigate a suspicious hunting accident. The investigation and other events result in him slowly disintegrating mentally.

Butterfly on a Wheel

Butterfly on a Wheel

Crime · 2007

A sociopathic kidnapper methodically pushes a desperate pair of parents to their absolute breaking point.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

Crime · 2007

When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store, the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that send them and their family hurtling towards a shattering climax.

Where it lives

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Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Ted Demme

Written by

Richard LaGravenese · Marie Weiss

Denis Leary

Denis Leary

Gus

Judy Davis

Judy Davis

Caroline Chasseur

Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey

Lloyd Chasseur

Glynis Johns

Glynis Johns

Rose Chasseur

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Jesse Chasseur

Raymond J. Barry

Raymond J. Barry

Lt. Huff

Richard Bright

Richard Bright

Murray

Court is in session

Put The Ref on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.