The Ref
1994 · 97 min · Director: Ted Demme
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Denis Leary plays an unfortunate cat burglar, who is abandoned by his partner in the middle of a heist, and is forced to take an irritating Connecticut couple (Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis) hostage. He soon finds that he took on more than he bargained for when the couple's blackmailing son and despicable in-laws step into the picture. Before long they're driving him nuts with their petty bickering and family problems. The only way for him to survive is to be their referee and resolve their differences, before he can be nabbed by the police.
Emotional fingerprint
The Ref (1994) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Humor 35%, Anxiety 20%, Empathy 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Humor, Anxiety, Empathy. Genres: Comedy, Drama, Crime. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Humor, Anxiety and Empathy. Its IMDb rating of 6.9/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 70/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Humor
- Tension
- Sadness
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Humor | Tension | Sadness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Humor | 45 % | 43 % | 12 % | 8 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Humor | 51 % | 45 % | 26 % | 16 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Tension | 55 % | 44 % | 43 % | 15 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 17′ | Humor | 54 % | 44 % | 46 % | 8 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 22′ | Humor | 53 % | 46 % | 44 % | 5 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 27′ | Humor | 53 % | 46 % | 43 % | 8 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Humor | 54 % | 45 % | 45 % | 10 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Humor | 59 % | 46 % | 53 % | 8 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 41′ | Tension | 60 % | 45 % | 55 % | 9 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 46′ | Humor | 56 % | 41 % | 48 % | 20 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 51′ | Humor | 55 % | 39 % | 44 % | 25 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 56′ | Tension | 55 % | 41 % | 44 % | 15 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 61′ | Humor | 59 % | 51 % | 41 % | 9 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 65′ | Humor | 63 % | 56 % | 43 % | 15 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 70′ | Humor | 64 % | 49 % | 50 % | 29 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 75′ | Tension | 68 % | 45 % | 56 % | 36 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 80′ | Humor | 69 % | 52 % | 56 % | 28 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 85′ | Humor | 68 % | 58 % | 54 % | 18 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 90′ | Humor | 65 % | 48 % | 41 % | 24 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 95′ | Sadness | 60 % | 30 % | 23 % | 40 % |
Man in a hole
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Jesse Chasseur
Mary
John
Lt. Steve Milford
Bartender
Details
- Directed by
- Ted Demme
- Written by
- Richard LaGravenese, Marie Weiss
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1994
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Country
- United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Humor
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
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