A useful snippet of information here and there is all the viewer needs. Coherence also manages to steer almost entirely clear of one of science fiction’s least desirable traits: tedious exposition. All other character development occurs as the story moves along, both lending the film excellent pace and helping the viewer keep up with the increasingly complex story. Aside from a small amount of character set-up in the opening, there are no pauses. Much of Coherence’s success stems from its focus on the central premise – the key idea is so good that it doesn’t bother to waste time with anything else. The film then descends into an expanding riddle about paranoia and alternate realities, as one character, Em, emerges as the audience surrogate, watching her friends – and herself – fall apart at the seams, in a situation that they don’t understand. Soon the situation becomes disorienting and bizarre when photos and notes start turning up belonging to the dinner party guests, presumably from the other house. When eight friends meet up for an ordinary dinner party, it seems like any other night, until a power cut mysteriously leaves only theirs and one other house with power. Produced on a shoestring budget in director James Ward Byrkit’s house, Coherence manages to blow its big-budget competitors out of the water via a sensational concept supported by a solid cast. Coherence, which is currently garnering much acclaim at festivals and independent showings, is an exceptional (and refreshing) cinematic experience, both as an example of the sci-fi genre and independent cinema in general. The term ‘sci-fi’ can bring to mind images of mega-budget action sequences and CGI futurescapes in stark contrast, the most exciting sci-fi in years takes place in the present day and features eight people sitting around a dining room table.
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