Coherence is a Rarely Discussed Sci-Fi Mind-Bender (1 of the Genre’s Best!)

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Occasionally, a movie appears that truly pushes the boundaries of an already strange and creative genre, demonstrating new ways to tell captivating and meaningful stories. The film Coherence is a prime example for those who have seen it.

Many films explore similar ideas about alternate realities, but the 2013 thriller Coherence often gets overlooked. However, viewers who have discovered it – it’s available on Amazon Prime and other free streaming services – consistently recommend it. The film cleverly suggests that encountering another version of yourself might not be a positive experience.

Coherence Has A Simple Set-Up With Grand Returns

Directed by James Ward Byrkit, the film Coherence centers around a dinner party where a group of old friends—including Emily (Emily Baldoni, formerly Emily Foxler), her husband Kevin (Maury Sterling), and the host, Mike—reconnect. The party coincides with the predicted passing of a comet, and this event seems to trigger a series of strange and unsettling occurrences for everyone involved.

Strange happenings have led the friends to realize the comet has caused multiple parallel universes to form, all existing at the same time. This means they’re now facing off against countless versions of themselves from these other realities.

As the night goes on, things take increasingly shocking turns, making it harder and harder to tell who is real and who is an imposter. This growing distrust and panic bring long-hidden feelings and secrets to light, potentially destroying the group’s close relationships.

The story almost always takes place at Mike and Lee’s house, and when it ventures elsewhere, those locations are still closely tied to the original setting. Despite being largely driven by conversation, the film remains incredibly suspenseful and mind-bending. This is especially impressive considering how it was made, and is one of the most remarkable aspects of the film Coherence.

Coherence Gets By Without A Script

Okay, so James Ward Byrkit gets writing credit for Coherence, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. He and Alex Manugian definitely had a general plan for the story, a sort of roadmap. But the really cool part? When we actually filmed it, they mostly just let the actors improvise and run with things. It was a super organic process, and honestly, I think that’s a big part of what makes the movie so effective.

Almost everything you see and hear in the film is improvised by the actors. They’re all friends with the director, and he gave them simple instructions on note cards to guide their characters and help move the story along.

The actors didn’t truly understand the film they were making when they began shooting at the director’s home in Santa Monica. Nicholas Brendon told Mandatory that he never fully grasped the plot, even at the end, and was genuinely surprised by how it all turned out when he finally saw the finished movie.

Brykit started as a bold experiment: creating a film without a completed script, funding, or even a full team. Its success – an 89% critical rating and 81% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes – proves that taking risks and doing things yourself can pay off, making it stand out then and now.

A Coherence Follow-Up Is In The Works

The ending, where Emily aggressively creates the best possible outcome for herself, is a disturbingly fitting conclusion to this suspenseful thriller, and feels complete without needing a continuation. However, those who wondered what might happen afterward may soon find out.

Byrkit, known for his popular first film, is creating a new movie in 2024. He’s again working with Alex Manugina, who co-wrote his previous film, Coherence, and Kate Andrews, the producer of Netflix’s It’s What’s Inside, a movie about a social gathering that takes a strange turn.

It’s currently unclear whether the upcoming film connected to Coherence will be a sequel, a prequel, or a completely original story. Fortunately, it will use similar filmmaking techniques that made the first movie so unique.

Byrkit recently told us the next installment will blend a classic, planned-out storyline – initially, to help secure funding and cast members – with a more improvisational approach during filming. He described the set as being designed for active participation, like an ‘escape room’ or ‘funhouse,’ allowing the actors to really contribute to the story.

You’d expect a film as clever and well-acted as Coherence to have been carefully planned from start to finish. It’s surprising – and really impressive – to discover it was largely created through suggestions and on-the-spot improvisation.

The film Coherence came out well before the multiverse became popular in Hollywood, with movies like Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the Academy Award-winning Everything Everywhere All At Once appearing in 2022. It might actually be a good thing that it wasn’t part of that trend, as it could have been overshadowed and become even more forgotten than it is now. Hopefully, the planned sequel will help it gain more recognition.

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2026-02-07 04:13