A mind-bending sci-fi thriller is hailed by fans as an “underrated masterpiece” that will have you “second guessing” throughout. Coherence (2013) tells the story of four couples who are having a dinner party the night that a passing comet coincides with unsettling distortions of time and space.
It features an ensemble cast including Emily Foxler, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Lorene Scafaria, Hugo Armstrong, Elizabeth Gracen, Alex Manugian, Lauren Maher, Aqueela Zoll, and Kelly Donovan. The film was shot in Santa Monica, California, and was reportedly made with a micro-budget of just $50,000 USD over the course of a few days. It was a directorial debut for James Ward Byrkit who wrote the screenplay and co-wrote the story.
The film premiered in the US in September 2013, and went on to have a limited theatrical release in the UK in February 2015.
Fans took to IMDb to praise it, with one writing: “I can’t seem to get this movie out of my head. I’ve watched it 3 times and I’m still left intrigued, wanting more.
“This might be one of my favorite movies of all time. People complain that it’s slow but I think it builds suspense. This movie captured me from beginning to end. It was something I threw on to pass the time and now I recommend it to everyone I know. I don’t want to give anything away. Just watch it.
“It’s an underrated masterpiece. Suspenseful, mysterious and a little creepy at times. 10/10 this was a home run for me.”
Another wrote: “I saw this movie when it first came out and again only a few years later, and remember loving it then. I recently rewatched it a third time and yet again, I feel just as good as about it as I did then.”
A third added: “Such a creepy unsettling film! Didn’t expect much but was very pleasantly surprised! Soooo freaky and unusual, definitely recommended.”
Some people took issue with the handheld camerawork of the low-budget film, and felt the potential of its central conceit wasn’t fully explored.
But another noted that while some of the camerawork is a “bit shaky” it’s “done to affect immediacy and also give that ‘fly on the wall’ feeling that does add to the intimacy of the film”.
They described it as one of those films “that will annoy some, bewilder a few and hopefully reward the many that stick with it”.
One fan on Rotten Tomatoes wrote: “Must see. The story is original and will have you second guessing what is really happening the whole time.”
Another wrote: “The movie does a great job at expressing several complicated concepts in a short amount of time. It doesn’t insult the viewer by explaining things, and to the untrained eye it may seem incoherent, but nearly every shot is with purpose.”
The film is Certified Fresh on the site with an 89% score on its Tomatometer, reflecting the percentage of approved critics who gave it a positive review. It has an 81% Popcornmeter score, indicating a positive response among general audiences.
The film has a 15 certificate and contains strong language, scary scenes, drug references – so may not be for everyone.
Coherence is streaming now on Plex (with ads).