The Young One
A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions.…
Open full watch pageCinento Guide
Movies Like The Ref
If you liked The Ref, this Cinento mix gives you more titles with a similar feeling, rhythm, tension, comfort level, and after-watch taste. Start with 16 picks, then load more when you want a wider path.
Movies Like The Ref
What Maisie Knew
In New York City, a young girl is caught in the middle of her parents' bitter custody battle.…
Open full watch page
Salomé
After the lewd and frenetic Dance of the Seven Veils, and with the solemn pledge from the very lips of Herod himself that she could have whatever her heart desires up to half his k…
Open full watch page
The Trials of Cate McCall
In order to be reinstated to the bar and recover custody of her daughter, a hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and on probation, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicte…
Open full watch page
The Truth About Emanuel
A troubled young woman becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl's dead mother.…
Open full watch page
Skin
Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.…
Open full watch page
Amateur
14-year-old basketball phenom Terron Forte has to navigate the under-the-table world of amateur athletics when he is recruited to an elite NCAA prep school.…
Open full watch page
Most
A poetic and powerful story of a father forced to choose between love and duty.…
Open full watch page
Come Sunday
Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.…
Open full watch page
The Good Neighbor
A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David and Robert when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of g…
Open full watch page
The House on Carroll Street
A reporter, fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. While working she overhears a no…
Open full watch page
Hands of Stone
The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other's lives.…
Open full watch page
O.G.
Louis Menkins is five weeks away from being released after 26 years in prison. He is faced with the decision to put his own release at risk in order to protect a young man named Be…
Open full watch page
Blue Chips
Pete Bell, a college basketball coach is under a lot of pressure. His team isn't winning and he cannot attract new players. The stars of the future are secretly being paid by boost…
Open full watch page
The Keys of the Kingdom
A young priest, Father Chisholm is sent to China to establish a Catholic parish among the non-Christian Chinese. While his boyhood friend, also a priest, flourishes in his calling …
Open full watch page
Guilty by Suspicion
Owing to his alleged involvement with communist parties, film director David Merrill is forbidden from working in Hollywood. He decides to fight for his rights and faces numerous c…
Open full watch page
Rogue Agent
Conman Robert Freegard poses as an undercover MI5 agent and kidnaps countless victims amidst a high-stakes manhunt, until the woman who fell for him brings him to justice.…
Open full watch page
The Unforgivable
A woman is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past.…
Open full watch page
All Day and a Night
While serving life in prison, a young man looks back at the people, the circumstances and the system that set him on the path toward his crime.…
Open full watch page
Won't Back Down
Jamie Fitzpatrick and Nona Alberts are two women from opposites sides of the social and economic track, but they have one thing in common: a mission to fix their community's broken…
Open full watch page
Lorelei
A man is released from prison after 15 years. He reunites with his high school girlfriend, now a single mother of three. What follows is a lyrical take on love, regret and second c…
Open full watch page
The Nest
Rory is an ambitious entrepreneur who brings his American wife and kids to his native country, England, to explore new business opportunities. After abandoning the sanctuary of the…
Open full watch page
Scandalous Sex
A daughter seeks to restore the reputation of her disgraced father, a wronged college professor. With help of a professional student, she must overcome an ambitious sorority bitch …
Open full watch page
Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl
Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975 (sending young people to there was a part of Cultural Revolution in China). …
Open full watch page
Hellion
When motocross and heavy metal obsessed, 13-year-old Jacob's delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother Wes with his aunt, Jacob and his emotionally absent father m…
Open full watch page
Girl in the Box
The true story of 20-year-old Colleen Stan, a hitchhiking woman abducted by a young couple and held captive for seven years, during which time she's tortured and forced to live as …
Open full watch page
Only the Strong
Former Green Beret Louis Stevens returns to his hometown of Miami after completing military service in Brazil, only to learn that his old high school has become a haven for gangs a…
Open full watch page
All Together Now
An optimistic, talented teen clings to a huge secret: she's homeless and living on a school bus. When tragedy strikes, can she learn to accept a helping hand?…
Open full watch page
The Good Neighbor
Two high school filmmakers decide to create the illusion of a haunting on an unsuspecting neighbor.…
Open full watch page
Gracie
A teenager faces an uphill battle when she fights to give women the opportunity to play competitive soccer.…
Open full watch page
Iron Jawed Angels
Defiant young activists take the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote.…
Open full watch page
A Dry White Season
During the 1976 Soweto uprising, a white school teacher's life and values are threatened when he asks questions about the death of a young black boy who died in police custody.…
Open full watch page
Gigi & Nate
A young man with a bright future suffers a near-fatal accident and recreates his new life with the help of an unlikely animal friend.…
Open full watch page
Goodbye June
Four siblings' lives change drastically when their ailing mother takes a turn for the worse over the holiday season.…
Open full watch page
The Safety of Objects
In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, an…
Open full watch page
Hounddog
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.…
Open full watch page
Not Without Hope
A group of friends' fishing boat capsizes off the coast of Mexico and they're left alone stranded at sea and struggling for survival.…
Open full watch page
An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars
A young girl struggles to maintain her school grades while competing as a gymnast.…
Open full watch page
Waiting for Anya
During the harrows of WWII, Jo, a young shepherd along with the help of the widow Horcada, helps to smuggle Jewish children across the border from southern France into Spain.…
Open full watch page
Bastard Out of Carolina
A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer a…
Open full watch pageFAQ
How should I use Movies Like The Ref?
Start with the first row of picks and choose the title that matches your mood tonight. Use Load More when you want a wider path without leaving the same feeling zone.
Why do these picks belong together?
Cinento looks at the feeling behind the search: tone, pacing, tension, comfort level, genre lane, and the kind of emotional aftertaste people usually want from this mix.
Is this mix only for people who already know the main title?
No. The title is a shortcut. You can use the mix even if you simply want the same mood, pressure, or story energy.
Can I find official watch options from here?
Yes. Open any title card and check the Stream / Rent / Buy section for official provider options when they are available in your region.