Gabriel S
Do you know the feeling of walking a greenie field, the birds are chirping, and the Sun is high in the blue sky, yet, the breeze is cool, almost chilling, but recomforting. The smell is a mix of fruity sweet with woody dirt, the trees towering high, providing shade and all sorts of shadows. Then, you step in a pile of dog dung. That's the feeling of watching Coherence.
The movie itself is a great sci-fi experience. The passing of Comet Miller is not raising that many expectations, except for its interference in the world. While friends gather to have dinner, hang around, and chill, an eerie sensation is stale in the air. A blackout occurs, except for one house down the street, and further investigation of the interior of the house changes their lifes forever.
The story follows main character Em, a sort of lackluster dancer on the verge of divorce. She must choose between staying idle where she is or accepting to live abroad with her husband Kevin, who is also in this dinner.
Through the lens of technicality, Coherence is a solid 8. Apparently, Director James Byrkit wanted a unique and convincing story, so he got the actors with minimum information to play along, directing them throughout the shooting, the actors having only but their improvisation techniques to hold them together. Actor Nicholas Brendon said he didn't even know what was the scope of the story until he saw the full movie.
This should ring a bell with movie fans, reminding them of one masterpiece called The Blair Witch Project from 1999. Coherence is shot in third person, but the scenes play along in a similar fashion to Blair Witch's, in which the action is sort of genuine, even the dialogue is intense, with characters talking over each other, a trait that usually does not happen in movies but happens often in real life.
The cast is another highlight, a great set of actresses and actors playing their best to keep character, considering all the odds that they were into. All of them deliver, culminating in the performance we get.
Coherence misses the 10-star mark in cinematography because the camera work is a bit frantic, all over the place. Before you get the hang of the ride, you might feel dizzy and nauseous, like in a rollercoaster, but once you adjust to the movement, you are good to go.
Yet, considering this movie is low budget, we are talking 50k here, I say the movie is a great show of how less, sometimes, is more.
The plot is pure sci-fi mystery, a great and compelling plotline that keeps you hooked until the very end while you wonder what the hell is going on, and, later, how are they going to get out of this mess.
Which leads to the ending, a disappointing denouement to an otherwise great piece of cinema. This is, of course, biased to what I expected from the story, but I guess most people would agree that we wanted a better resolution to the mess that Em got into.
It is one of those endings that you either love or hate, no in-betweens. I personally expected more, but, as a writer myself, I understand the power of open endings in fiction. I just feel like this one didn't resonate, leaving just an open crater in my stomach. After all that happened, I guess I wanted full resolution, goddamit.
Then, again, the power of open endings. Others could potentially understand the philosophy behind Coherence, totally getting the full closure of the story.
Like it or not, you can't completely dismiss the movie on one scene, and I figure Coherence is a smart sci-fi thriller done the right way. Like fancy dishes, one might miss the point with this movie, but it does not make it a bad dish, just misunderstood.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
11/18/24
Full Review
susan r
It's very slow - don't watch it when you're sleepy. It makes you think, and I enjoyed it until the ending. Hate the ending - it ruined the movie. Can't recommend.
Rated 1.5/5 Stars •
Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars
11/10/24
Full Review
Wayne K
Coherence proves that you can tell an incredibly complex and compelling story with a miniscule budget and only a handful of locations. Writer/director/producer James Ward Byrkit even uses his own house to keep the budget down and introduce a sense of comfort and familiarity that the set up of the films demands. This even extends to the cast, who mostly use their real names and come from an improv. background, something which gives the conversations a more natural feel, like each moment hasn’t been rehearsed to death. It can be frustrating at times, since the character often talk over each other, but that’s how real life discussions often go. I also liked how the occasional flub was left in, because in high pressure situations, people are apt to making mistakes when speaking. It’s the kind of movie that warrants repeated viewings, as the complicated and ever-expanding plot requires closer attention, and watching it again when you understand how it goes means you’re now looking for specifics, rather than just observing the overall picture. The lack of big names makes you buy into the characters more, and the handheld shooting style really puts you in the heart of the scenes. It’s a truly fantastic little picture, a film that does a lot with little and laughs in the face of the $200 million blockbusters that things you need flashy visuals and 1,000 thousand locations in order to be profound and impactful. I’m glad I was introduced to it, and I hope many more people get a chance to watch it.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
11/05/24
Full Review
Audience Member
coherence gets you into the movie and gives a good twist. I love how everything makes sense after watching it for the second time.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/25/24
Full Review
Anon Y
This movie is so insanely good. If you like sci-fi, suspense, good story, and plot twists- you will love this movie. Pay attention!!!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
10/12/24
Full Review
Darby H
I enjoyed this movie enough to pay attention the whole time it’s not meant to be the best sci fi horror movie of all time but throughly enjoyable enough to want to watch twice (with years between those watches) none the less if you like horror that messes with your head and want a short movie this definitely would be perfect to watch, especially with friends. Ppl hating heavy on this movie are just hating on it because it’s not perfect, nothing is :)
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
10/07/24
Full Review
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