“There is a cat in a box that has a fifty-fifty chance of living…”
When I first heard about Coherence I managed to get my hands on the film, but during several months it just laid in a corner collecting dust. I had forgotten all about it when I recently stumbled on it, and decided to give it a try. I had no expectations, actually I didn’t even know the genre or the plot. I was completely in the dark when I hit play.
It turned out to be some sort of science-fiction footage, but without the spaceships and laser weapons. It also mixed a bit of horror, drama and suspense. A perfect formula for a late night film. The plot is quite simple, a group of friends decide to gather for a dinner party on the same night a comet is crossing the night sky, which triggers a series of strange events. That is all I’m going to write, and I would recommend you not to search deeper into the plot, because during the film you never know more than the characters do. I was immersed, confused and frightened just like they were.
Written and directed by James Ward Byrkit, this was his first major picture. The film had a low budget, I read somewhere it was around 50.000 dollars, and believe me that’s really low for a full length picture. Furthermore it was shot only in five nights and many dialogs were improvised. Nevertheless this film is a proof that you don’t need a big budget, famous actors, or special effects to make a good science-fiction film, or simply a good film for all that matter, all you need is a good idea and a competent crew.
Coherence is one of those enjoyable surprises, and it surely deserves more appreciation that it has.
Third Left Pub 