Burn After Reading
2008 · 96 min · Director: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Osbourne Cox, a Balkan expert, resigned from the CIA because of a drinking problem, so he begins a memoir. His wife wants a divorce and expects her lover, Harry, a philandering State Department marshal, to leave his wife. A CD-ROM falls out of a gym bag at a Georgetown fitness center. Two employees there try to turn it into cash: Linda, who wants money for cosmetic surgery, and Chad, an amiable goof. Information on the disc leads them to Osbourne who rejects their sales pitch; then they visit the Russian embassy. To sweeten the pot, they decide they need more of Osbourne's secrets. Meanwhile, Linda's boss likes her, and Harry's wife leaves for a book tour. All roads lead to Osbourne's house.
Emotional fingerprint
Burn After Reading (2008) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Humor 35%, Confusion 25%, Anxiety 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Humor35%
- Confusion25%
- Anxiety20%
- Surprise10%
- Satisfaction10%
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, Confusion, Anxiety. Genres: Comedy, Drama, Crime. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Humor, Confusion and Anxiety. Its IMDb rating of 7.0/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 73/100.
How did it make you feel?
Votes are saved to the fingerprint once you’re signed in.
Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Humor
- Tension
- Surprise
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Tension
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Curiosity
Dominant emotion: Surprise
Dominant emotion: Disturbing
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Humor | Tension | Surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 2′ | Tension | 42 % | 32 % | 33 % | 13 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Humor | 38 % | 29 % | 28 % | 10 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Curiosity | 39 % | 29 % | 21 % | 9 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 17′ | Humor | 43 % | 36 % | 14 % | 11 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 22′ | Humor | 39 % | 35 % | 14 % | 10 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Humor | 37 % | 32 % | 19 % | 9 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 31′ | Humor | 45 % | 39 % | 26 % | 13 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 36′ | Humor | 49 % | 43 % | 31 % | 14 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 41′ | Humor | 49 % | 44 % | 33 % | 18 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 46′ | Humor | 50 % | 44 % | 39 % | 23 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 50′ | Humor | 49 % | 43 % | 39 % | 21 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 55′ | Humor | 46 % | 43 % | 30 % | 19 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 60′ | Humor | 51 % | 35 % | 31 % | 29 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 65′ | Surprise | 64 % | 29 % | 46 % | 44 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 70′ | Disturbing | 64 % | 34 % | 50 % | 36 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 74′ | Tension | 56 % | 35 % | 46 % | 25 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 79′ | Tension | 54 % | 30 % | 48 % | 25 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 84′ | Tension | 59 % | 29 % | 52 % | 33 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 89′ | Disturbing | 70 % | 32 % | 62 % | 43 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 94′ | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence | Not enough subtitle evidence |
Riches to rags
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 ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Burn After Reading. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
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
Divorce Lawyer
Peck
Olson
Party Guest
Stretching Gym Patron
Prospective Gym Customer
Details
- Directed by
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Written by
- Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 2008
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Country
- United Kingdom, France, United States
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Humor
- Data updated
Where to watch
Rent
Feels similar
More like this →Emotion overlap shows mood similarity, not a prediction of enjoyment.
