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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

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

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

Thin Ice

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Bottle Rocket

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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

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The Place Beyond the Pines

The Place Beyond the Pines

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A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.

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.

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.

Panic Room

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Crime · 2002

Trapped in their New York brownstone's panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman and her young daughter Sarah play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders - Burnham, Raoul and Junior - during a brutal home invasion. But the room itself is the focal point because what the intruders really want is inside it.

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.

Violent Ends

Violent Ends

Thriller · 2025

Lucas Frost, an honest man brought up in a crime family whose only legacy is violence, tries to make his own life with his fiancée, Emma. He is suddenly pulled back into the family business he so despises when his cousin, Eli, perpetrates an armed robbery on a local scrap yard and an innocent life is caught in the crossfire.

Where it lives

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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

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

Jesse Chasseur

Glynis Johns

Glynis Johns

Rose 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.