Like Inception, a movie that left people scratching their heads after its end and has friends discussing it thoroughly ten years later, Coherence is a movie made to be talked about. Coherence does the same, presenting a simple plot device, a comet that makes people act strangely, and allows for innumerable interpretations. Inception folds upon itself with the concept of dreams within dreams, only to unfold countless interpretations about its meaning. And it is storytelling 101 in its most masterfully executed way, a must-see for anyone in filmmaking. With its straightforward three act structure, almost street fast dialogue and lo-fi look, Coherence is only as good as its story. It is the type of movie that puts you in the shoes of the protagonists. Aggressively low-budget, awfully realistic, with overlapping dialogue that feels like what you hear (or heard, pre-covid) in any crowded place. The type of movie that brought Lena Dunham, Mark Duplass and Greta Gerwig to the limelight. The movie is, in style and feel, very much like the crop of mumblecore films of its time. It explores the volatility of our own self, how well do you know yourself, and what would you do to save the person you think you are? It makes you observe and question our basically innate, but also dangerous, fear of the ‘other.’ It is about the fragility of relationships, how under the radar conflicts come to a head under extenuating circumstances. What makes this movie great is that, like the best of science fiction, it isn’t about the fantastic element in it but rather about human nature. Last time I watched it, my Fitbit thought I was running, and I had seen it before! And it all flows naturally and smoothly, always keeping the audience engaged as the tension mounts. From awkward chit-chat at an old friend’s place, to old relationships that bring up a painful past, to literal life and death scenarios. It is a thriller that makes the viewer, just as much as the protagonists, question the reality in front of their eyes.Ĭoherence is a movie that, for such a simple plot, can’t stop raising the stakes time and time again.
But with little to no jump-scares, this is no horror movie. The tension quickly ramps up when the comet passes and our protagonists find themselves in a horror-movie-type scenario, isolated from civilization and scared about the possibility of intruders in their home. The movie starts with a couple of slow expository scenes that introduce the characters and the history they share, which already has pre-built conflict. And a fantastic climax that leaves you thinking about it for days. A mid-point that brings its true sci-fi nature, when a strange comet flies over our protagonists and odd things happen around them. Now that it’s been released for streaming on Amazon Prime, Coherence might finally get the attention and praise it so rightly deserves.Ĭoherence has a simple set-up, eight friends come together for a dinner party in a well-to-do California suburb. But the little praise it got is almost universally favorable. It is no surprise then that Coherence came and went after its 2013 debut, only seen and talked about by the nerdiest of indie film nerds. The movie is reported to have had only $50,000 in production costs, but even if this were tripled, it would only represent one tenth of one percent of Nolan’s budget. The same cannot be said for Coherence, a movie where ersatz props and homey set design do the visual heavy lifting. As most reviews go, the story is mentioned in the same plane, if not after, the special effects. The result is a movie with amazing action set pieces, trailblazing visual effects and a score that likely follows you to this day. Enough money to fund your local middle school for 10 years. Christopher Nolan also had over $150 million to play with when he made the movie. In 2010, the movie Inception showed that people had an appetite for smart, mind-bending science fiction films that ask audiences to actively engage with the content presented to them. The following is a guest post by Sebastian Sanchez. An underappreciated low-budget sci-fi spectacular.
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