A group of friends gather for
a dinner party on the evening that a comet is set to pass the Earth by at very
close range. What starts off as a normal night of eating, drinking and
conversation soon turns into a mind bending nightmare as the comet begins to
exert its influence on reality. Just as some old resentments begin to bubble up
between the four couples, there is a power cut. When the lights go out and phones
and the internet go down, some members of the group leave the house to see if
other houses in the street are having the same problems. From there, things get
incredibly weird as it becomes clear that nothing is what it seems anymore.
Coherence is one of those
films that has to be seen to be believed. You can’t explain the story without
ruining its many secrets and brilliant twists and turns. It is a film that your
brain just has to run alongside and do its very best to keep up with as the confusing
and frequently ingenious plot developments pile up. It is a very smart piece of
low key science fiction where the scientific theory has to be explained from a
book, but the improvised nature of the dialogue and the believable behaviour of
the cast completely sell the bonkers premise.
Debut feature director James
Ward Byrkit’s experimental production process pays off in spades as his cast of
recognisable faces (mostly from TV shows) completely convince as couples and
friends, even as the story takes its unexpected course. Shot in the director’s
own house and barely leaving the living room, Coherence is low budget but high
on ideas; not quite as hard to follow as the vaguely similar Primer, but pretty
close. Whether it all absolutely adds up by the end will probably remain a
mystery to most, but that just means that you will have to take the time to
enjoy a second viewing.
With such a smart set up and
slick twists throughout, the ending can’t quite reach the high points of the
rest of the film. Given its limitations though, Coherence is inconceivably thrilling;
a must see if you want your head scrambled by comets and quantum mechanics.
Watch the trailer:
More reviews from I Love That Film:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Join me in conversation! Please leave a comment on your own pondering.