The Ref

The Ref

1994 · 97 min · EN · R · 6.6 (390 votes)
Dir. Ted Demme · Starring Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., Glynis Johns, Raymond J. Barry · Music Dave Stewart

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

ComedyCrimeDrama

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

VIBE

This film feels like a chaotic, darkly funny Christmas Eve gone wrong. It's a tense, cynical ride through a dysfunctional family's holiday, punctuated by unexpected twists and a surprisingly heartfelt core.

darkly comedictensechaoticcynicalsteady90s dark comedybuddy cop adjacentgritty realismfamily dysfunctioncrimeredemptionholiday stress
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