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Coherence, film review: James Ward Byrkit's witty sci-fi drama is doubly satisfying

(15) james ward byrkit, 89 mins. starring: emily foxler, maury sterling, nicholas brendon, elizabeth gracen, article bookmarked.

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James Ward Byrkit's sci-fi drama is both nostalgic (it harks back to The Twilight Zone) and refreshingly original in the way its story incorporates – and satirises – modern technology. There is also a hint of Buñuelian Surrealism in its portrayal of the same dinner party taking place in parallel worlds that are somehow colliding. The central conceit isn't especially original but Byrkit's treatment of it is atmospheric and witty.

The dinner-party guests, affluent thirtysomething types in a house in Santa Monica, notice a series of increasingly strange occurrences as a comet passes by. The electricity goes on the blink. Their mobile phones crack, their internet connection is lost. Most disturbing of all, they discover what appear to be multiple doppelgängers of themselves.

Byrkit throws in all the references to physics and shock tactics (abrupt noises, jarring cuts) that might be expected in a typical B movie. The music cranks up the tension. The film is shot handheld, like a fly-on-the-wall documentary. One of its strengths is the attention it pays to character. Scrape away the sci-fi trappings and this emerges as a caustic, closely observed drama about some narcissistic California types with obvious tensions in their lives that are only heightened when normal routines are disrupted.

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One Of The Best Sci-Fi Thrillers You've Never Seen Will Totally Break Your Brain

The other night, I had a hankering to watch a good high-concept movie I'd never seen before. I saw 2014's "Coherence" on a few lists, and being almost wholly unfamiliar with it, I decided to fire it up and give it a shot. Thankfully, this film gave me  exactly what I was looking for.

Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Elizabeth Gracen, Alex Manugian, Lauren Maher, Hugo Armstrong, and eventual "Hustlers" director Lorene Scafaria star in this ultra-low budget brain melter about a group of friends gathering for a dinner party while a comet passes by overhead. When the power goes out, a couple of them trek up the street to a neighboring house with the lights on — only to discover something that shakes them to their core. I won't get into the specifics here, but the film has an incredible conceit, and director James Ward Byrkit, who shot the movie over five nights at his own house, is able to milk huge amounts of tension and drama from the scenario he and Manugian cooked up here. 

Byrkit opted for a "Curb Your Enthusiasm" approach to shooting, largely letting the actors improvise their dialogue as long as they hit key plot points in order to achieve a more lived-in, realistic vibe. That technique could easily backfire, resulting in a movie that feels too shaggy for its own good. But the cast is up to the challenge, and the central conflict is so strong that the film never has room for useless tangents or "why'd they do that ?" deviations. Once the narrative takes off like a rocket after only a few minutes of character work, it's time to grab hold and don't let go until the credits roll.

Coherence is one of the most compelling sci-fi films of the 21st century

Shane Carruth's 2004 movie "Primer" has a legendary reputation among cinephiles as perhaps the preeminent mind-bending low-budget science fiction movie of the modern era. That's a fascinating movie, and absolutely worth seeking out if you've never seen it. But it's also notoriously complex — so much so that there's a whole infographic dedicated to trying to untangle the web of timelines from "Primer."  It's all but impossible to understand everything you're seeing on first viewing, and that's actually a big part of the reason it has such devoted fans.

"Coherence," on the other hand, shares a similar low-fi aesthetic and thrilling, reality-warping premise, but it also doesn't disappear so far down the rabbit hole that you need a guide to understand it . It's captivating enough that it easily holds your attention and keeps you on the edge of your seat, but isn't so opaque that you'll leave the film confused and unsatisfied. That doesn't mean "Coherence" is dumb: In fact, I think it's so effective that it should be passed around and discussed among cinephiles in the same breath as "Primer." Small budget be damned: "Coherence" belongs in the pantheon of modern sci-fi classics.

We spoke a little about "Coherence" (and several other movies) on today's episode of the /Film Daily podcast, which you can listen to below:

You can subscribe to /Film Daily on Apple Podcasts , Overcast , Spotify , or wherever you get your podcasts, and send your feedback, questions, comments, concerns, and mailbag topics to us at [email protected]. Please leave your name and general geographic location in case we mention your e-mail on the air.

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Just Another Little Dysfunctional Dinner Party

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By Manohla Dargis

• June 19, 2014

It’s a commonplace that speculative fiction speaks to the anxieties percolating in its age. Such seems the case with the likes of “Edge of Tomorrow,” which kinks up its narrative by repeatedly cycling back to the past, suggesting that complex theories about space-time are now so mainstream that they’re the stuff of mass entertainment. The same might be said of the far more modest “Coherence,” although it’s also true that digital tools, which allow directors to shoot fast, cheap and sometimes sloppily, are also helping pry loose linear narrative’s hold on movies.

Directed by James Ward Byrkit, from a story he devised with Alex Manugian, “Coherence” largely takes place in a few rooms in a house tucked into an unidentified American neighborhood. There, eight lovers and friends gather together for a would-be convivial evening of food, wine and yammer that soon takes a turn for the woo-woo warped. First, though, hugs and pleasantries are exchanged while metaphoric daggers are politely brandished, most by Em (Emily Foxler), who’s unsettled that her boyfriend, Kevin (Maury Sterling), once dated another guest, Laurie (Lauren Mahler). This friction functions as something of a red herring while Mr. Byrkit readies his inciting incident.

That proves to be a comet passing over the Earth, which, or so Em insists, may explain why everyone’s cellphone has gone dead. Soon, the dinner party faces a profoundly more severe crisis when it appears that the comet may have wreaked havoc on the guests’ sanity, their perception of reality, or perhaps time and space itself. Whatever the case, something weird is happening, and, it soon seems, the people in a nearby house look an awful lot like the progressively freaked-out dinner guests. If that sounds confusing, it eventually is, even if, at first, Mr. Byrkit does a nice job of plotting the story’s complex coordinates while coaxing the characters (and you) into his maze.

At some point, though, Mr. Byrkit turns one too many corners (characters, meanwhile, begin bustling in and out of rooms like Marx Brothers extras), and what began as a nifty puzzle feels more like a trap. It may be possible to unkink this story, but when characters and performances are as unengaging as these, it’s hard to feel motivated to try. Mr. Byrkit shot the movie — which has a blurred, low-end digital look and a lot of small-screen-ready close-ups — without a script in his living room, setting the performers loose for five days of improvisation. It’s the kind of experiment that may be useful for directors and actors, but here hasn’t led to a satisfyingly realized movie.

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Coherence Is a Great Sci-Fi Story Smuggled Inside a Dinner-Party Movie

By telling you that Coherence is the best science-fiction movie I’ve seen in the last couple of years … I’ve already ruined half the fun of Coherence . But it couldn’t be helped. Sorry. Hate me if you must, but you should still see the movie.

The idea is this: A group of friends arrive for a dinner party on the eve of a mysterious comet’s passing over Earth. It’s an unremarkable but worldly collection of people: There are the ex-flames who are now there with their respective others. There’s the health nut who likes to talk about her carb cleanse. There’s the ballerina whose pride forced her to miss out on her shot at the big time some years ago. There’s the actor who once had a part on a TV show ( Roswell , hint-hint), but hasn’t done anything since. There are hints of lives unlived, dreams deferred. You sense that for all their smugness, these people wouldn’t mind having their realities shaken up a bit.

There’s some talk of how the passing of “Miller’s Comet” might affect things on Earth – electricity, phone signals, magnetic waves, and even human actions. (Someone’s cell phone has already cracked, right before they arrived at the party.) There’s even talk of historical incidents involving comets, like the Tunguska Event of 1908, which wiped out miles of Siberian forest. It’s all held at the witty, cultured, pleasant remove you’d expect from these folks. They make light of the comet flying overhead, because what else would you do? “This chicken tastes like tuna. It must be Miller’s Comet!” “I’m living in the moment!” someone exclaims when they discover that all the phones and internet have stopped working. “I’m so glad I’m not high,” someone else sighs when things finally start to get slightly ominous.

Anyway, that’s all I’m saying about the plot.

The characters in Coherence feel natural, distinct, like people we might actually know. Director James Ward Byrkit strikes such a beautiful balance here it feels like a magic act: We get wrapped up in the dinner party itself, but we also know that the comet isn’t just color. We know something’s going to happen. But we don’t quite know what, and Byrkit even dares to have fun with this anticipation. “I can feel it! It’s like a vortex!” one character yells about something seemingly unrelated, as the film smash-cuts to a few minutes later. It’s a throwaway editing joke – the kind only a director who has you completely in the palm of his hand can make.

Coherence ’s lo-fi aesthetic will remind some of Shane Carruth’s much-beloved Primer . It’s maybe not as “smart” as Carruth’s film – you don’t need a diagram to figure it out , to the extent that you need to figure it out at all – but it feels more lived in, less antiseptic. Its transformation of mundane interactions into something otherworldly actually reminded me of another brilliant, lesser-known sci-fi film from a couple of years ago, Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo’s Extraterrestrial . But Byrkit’s film is very much its own thing. It’s an urbane dinner-party movie that turns into something magnificent, terrible, and strange – and yet it never quite stops being an urbane dinner-party movie, never lets up its tone of ironic refinement. Coherence is a gentle film, but you walk away from it with your brain on fire.

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The Ending Of Coherence Explained

The idea of an alternate reality, one where everything that we know is only slightly changed, can be both fascinating and terrifying. But what about the concept of numerous realities, ones which individuals can flit in and out of without even realizing?

In the 2013 film "Coherence," directed by James Ward Byrkit, the latter is exactly what a group of eight must grapple with. The story begins with Em (Emily Baldoni), who is meeting her boyfriend Kevin (Maury Sterling) and friends for a dinner party on the same night a comet is set to pass overhead. At first, Em's only worry is that Amir (Alex Manugian) brings Kevin's ex-girlfriend, Laurie (Lauren Maher). As Kevin recounts fun memories with Laurie right at the dinner table, it's clear there's some unfinished business between the two. But soon, another woman is the least of Em's problems.

Chaos and confusion ensue when the power goes out, and Hugh (Hugo Armstrong) and Amir travel to the only lit house two blocks away. The pair returns looking shaken up and holding a box, which includes a ping pong paddle and numbered photos of the friends in red ink. Hugh reveals that at the other house, he saw themselves.

Throughout the 90-minute run time of "Coherence," the friends realize that the comet has opened up access to multiple, extremely similar, realities. In fact, throughout the course of the night, the majority of the characters switch realities unknowingly. While some, like Mike (Nicholas Brendon, aka Xander from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" ), prepare to wage war against their alternate selves, others see it as an opportunity to trade up.

How does Coherence end?

Tensions among the group reach a breaking point when it's determined that various members have switched realities. There are some hints along the way of this alarming conclusion, such as Em overhearing the same conversation twice between Beth (Elizabeth Gracen) and Lee (Lorene Scafaria) about a herb the latter purchased at a thrift store. 

But the full force of what they're dealing with is made clear through the random item found in the box. Each version of the group chose an item at random to put inside to serve as a symbol of their reality. But by the end, only Em, Laurie, and Kevin recall the ping pong paddle. Beth and Lee remember an oven mitt, Mike a napkin, and Hugh and Amir a stapler. This is how the group and the viewers come to realize that many of the characters we met at the beginning of the night have actually been swapped for alternate reality versions of themselves.

As the friends fight — and just after seeing an intimate moment between Kevin and Laurie — Em sneaks out in an attempt to find a better, less hostile reality. She stumbles across a variety of identical houses, all bearing a similar angry group. One even shows Kevin and Laurie snuggled together. Finally, Em finds one house where everyone is having a nice evening, and she and Kevin are a loving couple.

Em knocks out this happier version of herself, hides her in the shower, and takes her place. The next morning, Em 2.0 has vanished and our original leading lady believes she got away with the switch. However, while standing outside with the woman he thinks is his girlfriend, Kevin receives a call from the Em who is supposed to be unconscious in the bathroom. He gives the imposter an incredulous look before the screen cuts to black.

An explanation of how and when the friends switch realities

Early on, the group notices a vast space of darkness outside, but it takes a while for them to realize the significance of it. This darkness is sort of like a roulette wheel — whenever someone walks through it, they step out on the other side into a different reality. The catch is, the new destination is completely random. This means that attempting to return to a previous reality is left up to chance. 

The first two to venture outside are Amir and Hugh, the initial versions of whom we never see again. Then, when Em, Kevin, Mike, and Laurie go to investigate, they wind up in a new reality. Later on, Mike decides to blackmail his alternate self and accidentally heads into yet another reality. Beth and Lee are the only ones to never leave. Whichever house is shown, they're the only two originals. Each version of a person for the most part looks and acts the same aside from minor details.

Overall, their troubles are rooted in science. Hugh, whose brother is a science instructor at UCSC, details the concept of Schrödinger's cat. This thought experiment states, basically, that if you put a cat in a box with a vial of deadly poison that may or may not be released and closed the lid, you wouldn't know whether the cat was alive or dead until you opened the box to check. Until that point, the cat is simultaneously both alive and dead. Quantum physics states that both realities can exist simultaneously and separately thanks to quantum decoherence. "It's only when you open the box that they collapse into a single event," says Hugh. The power of the comet somehow caused quantum coherence, with all realities crashing into one.

Are any of the original characters seen at the end of Coherence?

In an interview with DePaul Visiting Artists Series , "Coherence" writer and director James Ward Byrkit shared that Em, Kevin, and Laurie are the only three characters that viewers follow from the beginning. Even when they pass through the darkness, audiences are brought along with them to the other side. But it's only Em whose final fate we see. "You're watching Emily from the first shot to the last shot," said Byrkit. "That's the whole key to the story." 

When Em can no longer stand the flirting between Kevin and Laurie, she decides to take her chances in the reality roulette wheel and lands in a world where Laurie is not a nemesis. Though Em thinks she got rid of her alternate version, that's not the case given the phone call that Kevin receives. This likely means that there are now two Ems existing in this reality. Since the comet has passed and there's no more dark space, there's also no more reality switching. Em is trapped in a world that's not her own and must now deal with the consequences.

It's quite the ironic situation — Kevin is finally loving and attentive, but now, he may see her as a threat. Given the laughter among this group of friends, this reality seems to somehow be immune from the comet craziness. However, because of Em's frustration and determination to find a new life, this group's comfortable reality is about to implode.

Coherence – Release Date: 13th February 2015

Don’t lose focus

A smartly written, thought provocative indie hit, Coherence tackles the subject of alternate realities and time bending issues with confidence and enough nuance to make it a powerful thriller in its own right. With well written characters and convincing dialogue, Coherence is not only one of the best in its genre, it also boasts a slightly different experience with multiple watches, giving the film more weight and longevity.

The premise features eight friends at a dinner party talking before witnessing a comet passing overhead. What follows is a number of increasingly surreal and reality bending events that leave all of them questioning who they are and more importantly, who everyone else is. The story is delicately balanced between being convoluted and just complicated enough to make it a smartly written thriller. Although there are times where it looks like the subject gets away from the writers, on the whole the film is well written throughout. Those looking for an easy watch or something to switch off to may well be turned off by Coherence’s challenging themes but for those who persevere, there’s an incredible amount to like here.

With such a complicated plot, Coherence so easily could have fallen apart without convincing characters. With massive amounts of improvisation and shot across 5 nights on a shoestring budget, Coherence is surprisingly good at making its characters as believable as possible considering the improv used throughout. Its not perfect, with some lines of dialogue not quite as effective or delivered a little too abruptly on the back of the last character speaking but on the whole, Coherence feels like a natural conversation between friends and there’s a great flow to its dialogue.

Having rewatched this title three times, there are still moments that stand out or little details I missed the first time through and this meticulous attention to detail is one of the things that set this indie title apart from the crowd.

The opening establising shot with the dinner party, whilst crucial for the overall character building, does feel a little too dragged out and with such a long opening, this might put some people off but once Coherence gets going, its so gripping and tense it demands your attention. With the predominant setting being the interior of one house, the claustrophobic setting makes for a really unsettling watch as doubt begins creeping into the character’s minds. That’s not to say its bad, quite the opposite, it really heightens the tension and helps establish itself as a very good thriller.

Pacing issues at the start aside, Coherence is a smartly written indie thriller. Its hand held camera angles and improvised dialogue certainly won’t be for those who like a more structured approach to filmmaking and it does have the feeling of an indie title with its shoestring budget but there’s no denying Coherence’s appeal. Its one of the best alternate reality films and its incredible attention to detail makes multiple viewings a must. Although its not going to win any awards and will definitely fly under the radar with its lack of advertising, its well worth a watch and is one of my personal favourite films.

• Verdict - 9/10 9/10

Film Reviews

Coherence review.

• Feb 10, 2015

Director: James Ward Byrkit

Starring: Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Lorene Scafaria, Elizabeth Gracen, Hugo Armstrong, Alex Manugian, Lauren Maher

Run Time: 89 Minutes

Certificate: 15

Synopsis:   Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead .

Imagine, for a moment, being stuck inside an infinite loop of your own reality. But then throw in an ordinary evening, a dinner party with your closest friends and some Schrödinger’s cat theories and voilà ; you’ve got all the ingredients inside the stimulating COHERENCE.

This low-fi indie drama lends itself to some interesting opinions on existence, life and multiple realities but it’s presented within a tight narrative that keeps it simple for the casual viewer. In a similar vein to Mike Cahill’s ANOTHER EARTH (2011), this is all about one unique event and the potential consequences of the unknown. It may sound like I’m talking in riddles though, so let me explain a little further.

On the same night as a mysterious and powerful comet passes over Earth, four sets of couples get together for an evening meal as they haven’t seen each other for a while. Although past relationships and their connections are suggested, this isn’t THE ICE STORM (1997) but things certainly head out of control.  After the comet passes closer overhead, it knocks the electricity out in the house and also across the whole neighbourhood. Upon further investigation, some of the group head outside but can only see one other house ‘lit up’ in their surroundings and so they decide to pay them a visit, to ask if they can use their phone. But here’s where the craziness starts, because whilst they’re away, they discover the house is exactly the same as the one they’ve just left but there are differences. While the story progresses, the group try to muster some sense into the situation but everything gets more twisted, relationships start to strain, secrets are untied and it’s all juxtaposed along a nice slice of uncertain realities.

James Ward Byrkit’s COHERENCE takes a refreshing look into possibility of multiple and metaphysical worlds.  This science-fiction drama genre doesn’t rely on visuals and excessive over-explaining but rather wants to gives you the tools to imagine what it’d be like to cross between alternate realities occurring instantaneously. The ensemble cast is clearly the most significant thing here since they’re the ones you need to be convinced by as you’re pulled into the confusion.  It’s also interesting that both the audience and their own characters try to fathom if we’re watching the same ‘people’ from beginning to the end. This might sound convoluted but it’s done in an accessible way with a logical look at modern paranoia and the suggestion of a technological reliant age.

COHERENCE is an intelligent indie sci-fi drama that has smartly chosen its specific focus and plays it out impeccably.

[usr=4] COHERENCE opens in the UK on 13th February.

Dan loves writing, film, music and photography. Originally from Devon, he did London for 4 years and now resides in Exeter. He also has a mild obsession with squirrels and cake. The latter being more of a hobby. Favourite movies include HIGH FIDELITY, ALMOST FAMOUS, ROXANNE, GOOD WILL HUNTING, JURASSIC PARK, too many Steve Martin films and Nolan's BATMAN universe. He can also be found on www.twitter.com/danbullock

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Watch Coherence with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

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A case study in less-is-more filmmaking, Coherence serves as a compelling low-budget calling card for debuting writer-director James Ward Byrkit.

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FILM REVIEW: ‘COHERENCE’!!!

By Bryan Kluger

Justin C. here…

Certain movies defy traditional review.

It has nothing to do with ambivalence on the part of the reviewer but rather a desire to maintain a spoiler-free experience for moviegoers yet to come. In a time when Hollywood seems hell-bent on telling the same story and over again—practically requiring that any variation on theme be revealed in the trailer—, who am I to do damage to one of its few original, thought-provoking works by revealing too much?

Coherence is one such movie.

And you’ll want to know as little about it ahead of time as possible.

Here’s the safe synopsis:  Eight friends gather for a dinner party on the same night that a comet passes perilously close to the earth. Hilarity ensues. Okay, maybe not that last part, but to tell more is to risk ruining one of many surprises. Suffice it to say, the presence of said comet has a profound effect on the partygoers, not only bringing into question their relationships with one another but with themselves as well.

What Coherence may lack in over-sized summer set pieces, it more than makes up for with its script, effectively re-creating the conversations that might take place across a dinner party table while simultaneously giving us very telling glimpses into each character’s past.  Of course, great dialogue would be meaningless without a stellar cast to speak those words. Perhaps the most recognizable cast members—especially to fans of the sci-fi genre—are Nicholas Brendon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame and Elizabeth Gracen from Highlander: The Raven , though you’ll doubtless be IMDb’ing the other actors to figure out where you’ve seen them before as well as where you can see them again.

It’s a rare ensemble that can pull off the sense of personal history so quickly constructed amongst these friends. Of course, the single setting doesn’t hurt. Despite what some might consider a limitation, the movie alternately uses its limited environment to instill feelings of danger, isolation, containment, and collusion. The biggest trick is never allowing us to believe the movie could have succeeded as a stage play, employing cuts to black to show the passage of time throughout the night as well as a somewhat eerie tone.

Granted, Coherence may never attain blockbuster status or spawn countless sequels, but then it’s likely to stick with you far longer than the standard Hollywood fare. Kudos to writer/director, James Ward Byrkit . I highly encourage you to seek it out.

4 OUT OF 5 STARS

– Justin Cline

You can follow me on Twitter: @justin_cline

Former husky model, real-life Comic Book Guy, genre-bending screenwriter, nude filmmaker, hairy podcaster, pro-wrestling idiot-savant, who has a penchant for solving Rubik's Cubes and rolling candy cigarettes on unreleased bootlegs of Frank Zappa records.

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‘Coherence’ Movie Review — Get ready to get your mind blown

Coherence  is a twisting, thrilling, low budget sci-fi that shows that sometimes less is more when it comes to the genre.

While the entire neighborhood is shrouded in darkness, they notice that a few blocks down a single house still has electricity. Hugh ( Hugo Armstrong ) and Amir ( Alex Manugian ) volunteer to go to the house and see if they have a landline they can use. When they return, a little shaken up, they have a box with photos of all the guests at the dinner with a random number written on the back and a ping pong paddle. Even more mysterious, the numbers are written in Em’s handwriting.

In all,  Coherence  tells a story we’ve seen before, but it’s told in a way that makes you think and feel. That’s rare when it comes to sci-fi. Few movies in the genre lately have been able to do that. Despite minimal effects and taking place over a single night in a single setting, the movie is incredibly entertaining from beginning to end. And while the improvised dialogue hurts the movie as does one-dimensional characters — save for Nicholas Brendon’s Mike — the concept and plot are able to make up for it.

Karl’s rating:

Coherence  is available to rent or buy on Amazon!

Karl Delossantos

Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

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Coherence (2013) : Movie Plot Ending Explained

Coherence is the strange story of eight friends who meet for dinner on the night the Miller’s Comet is passing over the Earth. The comet’s passing results in a tear in their reality and I’m afraid anything more is going to give away the story. It’s an interesting film and if you’ve already watched it, read on. Here’s the detailed plot analysis and the ending of the movie Coherence explained; spoilers ahead.

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Oh, and if this article doesn’t answer all of your questions, drop me a comment or an FB chat message, and I’ll get you the answer .  You can find other film explanations using the search option on top of the site.

Unlike The One I Love , there is not much of a romantic element to the plot. I’m going to break this article up into two parts – a quick explanation and then a detailed one. There are plenty of diagrams explaining Coherence in each section of this article.

Here are links to the key aspects of the movie:

• – Plot Explanation – Quick Version
• – Plot Explanation – Detailed Version
• – The Comet And Its Effects
• – The Crossing Over Begins
• – Names Cards And Numbers
• – The Book On Quantum Physics
• – There Are Many More Realities
• – Are They Hallucinating? No.
• – Everybody Is Now Completely Mixed Up
• – Explaining The Numbers And Pictures
• – Emily Leaves To Find A Happy Reality
• – Ending Explained
• – Coherence Movie: Illustration Diagram

Coherence Movie Plot Explanation – Quick Version

The gist of the film Coherence is that 6 people come over for dinner to a couple’s place. Lee and Mike are the hosting couple. I’m not getting into the details and relationship between these 8 people. During their dinner, there is a comet that is passing over them. This causes their house and the occupants to intertwine with multiple such houses and occupants from other realities. Note that it is not just two realities that have come together but infinite realities that get tangled. There is a dark zone in between the realities. When someone passes through the dark zone, they leave their reality and enter another reality at random. The one person which the movie constantly follows is Emily. She is the central character and is the only one we constantly follow. I’ll call her Emily Prime.

A powercut occurs initially and this marks the start of the intertwined realities. At a distance, outside, they see a house with lights on. They don’t know it’s the same house from another reality. At first, two of the guys exit the house to go make a phone call from the “other house” and cross over into another reality. Their doubles come in from another reality. No one realizes this switch As the story unfolds, they begin to realize that the other house is actually another version of theirs. But the group initially assumes that there are only two houses (from two realities). Later they realize that there are multiple realities and that once the comet passes, each reality will be stuck permanently with whoever stays in it.

As time passes, different groups of people leave the house and cross over the dark zone. This results in everyone getting jumbled across different realities. Due to past events between people in the group, there are various fights that break out. Emily Prime is frustrated and leaves on her own. She wanders from one reality to another. Each of the realities have gotten into fights of their own. In each reality, people have gotten mixed up from different realities and there is chaos. Finally, she stumbles upon one reality where no one is fighting. In this reality, they have never had a powercut. Remember, it’s the powercut that makes them head out and start crossing into the dark zone. No powercut means, this group never left the house. The group is intact and hence are having a normal evening.

Emily Prime wants to replace the Emily from this reality and take on her life and be happy. Emily Prime sneaks up on her double and drugs her. First she throws her in the trunk and later attacks her in the bathroom and puts her in the bathtub. Emily Prime heads to the living room and faints. She wakes up the next morning on the sofa. Looks like the others have not run into the double. At some point the double has gotten up from the bathtub and left. Emily Prime leaves the house and meets Kevin. His phone rings. The call is from Emily. On answering the call, he gives a suspicious look towards Emily Prime and she stares back with guilt. The film ends. The reality that Emily Prime is in now will permanently have 2 Emilys in it. What happens here or in the other realities, well, that’s not part of the Coherence film.

Coherence Film Plot Explanation – Detailed Version

Coherence starts with Emily driving and talking to her boyfriend Kevin. The conversation gets cut due to loss of mobile phone signal. After this, her phone cracks. Emily is the one person which the movie constantly follows. She is the central character and is the only one we constantly follow. I’ll call her Emily Prime. Mike and Lee are a couple and have called for a dinner at their house.

Their guests are:

• Emily Prime & Kevin
• Hugh & Beth
• Amir & Laurie

Kevin is moving some place for 4 months and wants Emily Prime to join, she is hesitant. Kevin and Laurie have dated each other in the past. Amir is presently dating Laurie. Mike has had a history of drinking problem, which he has overcome. Mike and Beth have had an affair 12 years ago. Everyone but Hugh knows about this.

The Comet And Its Effects

During dinner, the Miller’s comet is passing over. Everyone reaches Mike’s and Lee’s place. Beth says she has these drops which is a concoction of her own. It’s a powerful mix of chemicals with a little horse tranquilizer in it. She uses it to “take the edge off”. No one has signal on their mobile phones and there is no internet at home. Emily Prime mentions about an older comet event – where a woman claimed that her husband wasn’t her husband because she had killed him the day before. Hugh mentions that his phone too shattered spontaneously a while ago.

A powercut happens. This powercut is important. It triggers a whole series of events. Mike gets his glow sticks. There are three boxes with three colours – blue, green, red. They open the box with the blue glow sticks and grab one each. They step out to notice there is no power anywhere except for one house. While the gang thinks that this is another house, they don’t realize they are seeing their own house from a different reality. They also look up in the sky to see the comet and get back in. The passing comet has caused infinite realities to intertwine. There is a dark zone in the middle. Any person crossing this zone will enter a different reality.

Hugh mentions that his brother asks him to call if anything strange happens as the comet passes over. No one has phones. Amir and Hugh decide to go to the other house to try and make contact with Hugh’s brother. The two of them leave. Since they cross over the dark zone, they leave their reality and go away into another reality. We don’t see this version of Hugh and Amir again in the film.

The Crossing Over Begins

Emily Prime explains that this comet Comet a lot closer this time. The previous time it passed over the Earth, it was much further away and there were no noted strange events the last time. She also talks about the Tunguska Event – when a meteoroid entered atmosphere over Siberia. The explosion caused trees to get flattened over 2000 sq km but there were no human casualties. Suddenly, they hear heavy knocking on the side door. There is no one at the door. It’s been 10 min since Hugh and Amir have left. The power returns – Mike gets the generator running. Bell rings. Hugh and Amir are back. Hugh has a cut on his head. They come with box that they have picked up from the other house. Mike has a similar box so he tries to use his key to open it, it opens. They find a Table Tennis bat and pictures of all of them with numbers behind their pictures.

The Hugh and Amir that have come back are from another reality, they are not the same as the ones who left. But at this point, they themselves don’t know that they are from a different reality.

At the other house, Hugh claims to have seen the same house with 6 (except for himself and Amir) of them having dinner. At that house, Hugh goes around to the side door and knocks. But the rest of the group says they heard a knocking on their side door. The rest feel Amir and Hugh lost their way, circled back to their own house and knocked on the side door. Hugh disagrees. He says he walked two blocks straight down.

Here’s what happened – Hugh didn’t lose his way. Just as the original Hugh and Amir leave, another Hugh and Amir from a different reality show up outside, knock, see the people in the house, get scared and leave. Set 1 – The original Hugh and Amir who leave the house to make a call Set 2 – The Hugh and Amir who have returned home Set 3 – The Hugh and Amir (we never see them) who knock on the side door and leave

Hugh wants to go back to the other house, see if anyone answers and if not leave a note. Note he writes reads “Hey there, don’t mean to freak you guys but we just wanted to borrow your phone for 5 min tops. Thanks”. Someone is on their front door. Mike says it’s a big guy at the door. The big guys leaves. Mike opens the door to find a note at their door. It’s the exact same note that Hugh just wrote.

Here’s what happened. A 4th set of Hugh and Amir have come from a different reality and left the note at the door and returned. Again, this Hugh and Amir we are never shown. This shows that in some realities, Hugh and Amir are able to go paste the note while in some realities they don’t get to leave and end up with two notes.

Names Cards And Numbers

The group sits down and tries to make sense of the numbers. Emily Prime writes down their names and corresponding numbers on a paper. Amir notes that his pic is from tonight. He has bought the sweater from the pic today. Amir is looking at the camera but doesn’t remember being snapped. Emily Prime feels that the numbers behind the pics are her handwriting. We’ll get to what this is a little later.

Mike suggests all of them should go to the other house to check if their doubles are there. Mike, Emily Prime, Laurie and Kevin leave and Lee, Amir, Hugh and Beth stay. They go over to the other house, Mike says it’s his house. He sees Lee. They sneak out. On the other side of the road, they see their doubles, with red glow sticks. Both groups panic and run in different directions. Now Mike, Emily Prime, Laurie and Kevin return to a house – this house is different from the one they started off from. But they don’t know it yet. This Lee, Amir, Hugh and Beth are a different set from the one they left. This is now the second house (second reality) we are shown from the inside. Also, Lee and Beth have never left the house, they belong to this second house. Hugh and Amir are the 5th set we are seeing right now.

Coherence Explained: The Book On Quantum Physics

The group talks about the weird dark zone they pass. Hugh and Kevin leave to get a book that Beth says was about comets that she’s left on the back of her car. Lee is sleeping. They come back with the book. The book is about quantum physics titled Gravitation : an introduction to current research. Hugh’s brother is a teacher at a university.

Schrodinger’s cat is brought up in the notes within the book – A cat and a vile of poison are in a box. Regular physics would say the cat is either alive or dead. Quantum physics says that the cat would be alive and dead. Both realities exist simultaneously until the box is opened. So technically the house and the people are like the cat. Their state of existence is in multiple realities, until the comet passes. They even bring up a reference to the movie Sliding Doors. Bottom line is that each of these realities have done something slightly different from each other. Eg: while one group opened the blue glow sticks, the other one opened the red one.

There Are Many More Realities

Mike goes nuts, wants to go over to the other house and kill the doubles. He feels he will die when the collapse of realities happens. So far they think there are only 2 houses and 2 sets of them (but in reality there are infinite). Mike is freaked out because if he’s suggesting that they should kill the people in the other house, his double is plotting the exact same thing. And if the Mike in the other house is drinking, then he’s a f$#ked up Mike.

Lee is taking a nap in this house. However, in the other house (that Mike, Emily Prime, Laurie and Kevin pass by), Mike sees Lee but not Beth. This means Beth is napping in the other house. Since Beth brings up the topic of the book, the other reality may not have the book yet. If they don’t have the book, then they aren’t having this conversation (about killing the doubles). So by taking away their book, this whole situation can be avoided in the other house. While this conversation seems to make sense in the context of just two realities, it makes no sense in the present context of the infinite realities. But the group doesn’t know that there are multiple realities yet. Hugh says they shouldn’t change any of the events and forbids Mike from stealing their book. Lee wakes up.

Mike has a private conversation with Kevin. Mike has a secret with Beth that he plans to use on his double in the other house. Using that secret he wants to blackmail his other self from getting that book from the car. The secret is Mike sleeping with Beth 12 years back . Mike leaves in spite of Kevin trying to stop him.

Are They Hallucinating? No.

Lee was sleeping because Beth gives her the drops. Emily Prime asks if Beth put any of the drops in the food. This is to check if they were all hallucinating. In their previous party, when they did mushrooms, Beth puts some in the spaghetti sauce but that was a group decision. The group breaks into a discussion if the drops will cause hallucinations. Beth and Hugh argue that even if they took a whole bottle each, they couldn’t have a mass hallucination like this.

Hugh and Amir have a private moment and pull out red glow sticks. This discloses that they are not from this house. But remember, Mike, Kevin, Emily Prime and Laurie are also not from this house. This house just happens to be one which also opened blue glow sticks . Hugh and Amir want to get out. Mike returns, this is a Mike from a different reality. Mike tells Kevin that he has dropped off the blackmail letter as planned. Meanwhile, Hugh and Amir take the book and the box and leave. Kevin says Mike was gone 5min. Mike says he was gone 45min. That’s because the Mike that left the house and this Mike who has returned are not the same person. Mike decides to have a drink.

The gang notices that Hugh and Amir are gone with the box and the book. Laurie says that Hugh and Amir were the first to leave and have been acting strange ever since. So she suggests that they were not “their” Hugh and Amir. Kevin decides to leave to get them back. Emily Prime says no and stops him. They now feel that they can’t trust their doubles. The group is still unaware that there are infinite versions of them getting all mixed up.

Everybody Is Now Completely Mixed Up

Lee and Beth talk. Lee mentions about Mike’s drinking problem. Mike gets Emily Prime the set of pics, “their copy” of what was in the box and hands her scissors. She doesn’t cut the pic. Kevin and Laurie meet. Beth listens and watches. Laurie kisses Kevin. Kevin stops. Beth hints of what happened to Emily Prime. Emily Prime and Kevin talk. She brings up Laurie and the hallway. Kevin dismisses Beth’s claims.

Power goes again, this time the generator goes bust. They hear the sound of car glass getting broken. Everyone leaves to have a look. Hugh’s car glass is broken. Emily Prime goes to check her car and gets her ring (that Kevin had given her a while back) and wears it. She meets Kevin near her car and asks if they are okay and Kevin says yes and that Laurie means nothing. But when she asks about Hugh’s car and if anything was taken, Kevin doesn’t know what she’s talking about. This is a different Kevin. Emily Prime and Kevin realize this. They go their way and Emily Prime returns to the house. The rest of them and Kevin are there. She shows this Kevin the ring.

Hugh and Amir arrive at the door. These two have blue glow sticks. This is the 6th set of Hugh and Amir in the plot. They start narrating their story and there is a mention that Hugh has a different bandaid. They say that they were in a house where everyone had red glowsticks. Hugh brings up the note he writes. He says that in the other house too they ended up with two notes. The group finally beings to realize that since both houses ended up with two notes, that makes a total of 4 notes and this could mean there are multiple houses and not just 2.

Explaining The Numbers And Pictures

They find a way to mark the house. So they use dice. Each one rolls a dice and get a number and they put the number against a picture of theirs and put the pictures in a box. So this is exactly what the other house has done. The numbers and pictures were a way to mark themselves against their house. Amir doesn’t have a pic so they take one. Amir mentions that the other house took a picture of him too but that looked different. They decide to also put a random object in the box as a second factor of authentication – a coaster. They prepare the box. The table tennis bat was the random object the other house had picked.

Though they don’t have the box from the other house, remember Emily Prime made a note of the names and their numbers? She checks that notebook. She asks everyone for their earlier number behind their photos and they give it to her. She cross verifies. Emily Prime tells Mike that she remembers the number series she earlier wrote down. However, the number series she remembers doesn’t match what is already in the notebook. She explains that Lee and Beth are originally from this house as they never left. Mike and Emily Prime, however, are from a different house. Also, she mentions how Hugh’s phone isn’t broken and hence Hugh and Amir are from a different house. She then puts forward a theory. When they cross over to the dark zone, they get thrown randomly to a reality like ball in a roulette wheel. And that she and Mike need to go back and find their original reality before the comet passes, else they will be stuck in the wrong reality forever. Mike says that if it is random, there is no way to get back to their original house. In any case, this Mike is not the Mike Coherence starts with, he’s a different one. Emily Prime doesn’t know this.

There is a knock on the door and a note appears. It’s Mike’s blackmail note. This is from a 3rd Mike from a different reality who’s dropped it and gone. The note reads “Beth + book = Trinidad club don’t let it happen buddy” – basically Mike and Beth had an affair 12 years ago. Hugh gets pissed off. Mike now brings up the fact that they are all from different realities – all of Emily Prime’s theories. Hugh gets aggravated and punches Mike. Mike sits up and is talking to Emily. He says he’s made his set of bad decisions and is now stuck in this reality.

Suddenly, another Mike with a green glow stick enters the house. This is a 4th Mike who punches Mike and leaves. Mike’s knocked out. Beth gets tensed and has a nose bleed, it drips on Laurie. Laurie freaks out as she can’t stand blood. Emily Prime opens the door to see a note that reads “Hey there, don’t mean to freak you guys but we just wanted to borrow your phone for 5 min tops. Thanks” .. Hugh’s note. This note means another Hugh and Amir have come to the door and gone, we can ignore this. By now the infinite nature of things is revealed.

Emily Leaves To Find A Happy Reality

Emily Prime gets frustrated and leaves. She wanders from one one reality to another. Each of the realities has the group fighting over something or the other. Finally, she stumbles upon a reality where they are not fighting. In this reality, they have never had any of the powercuts. Remember, it’s the powercut that makes them head out and wander into the dark zone. No powercut in the night means, this group never left the house. The group is intact and hence are having a normal evening.

Emily Prime sneaks into this house. She picks up Beth’s drops. The group hear a noise, a car window breaking. Emily Prime has broken Hugh’s car window . They go out to check. Hugh’s car is broken. Emily from the current reality goes to check on her car. Emily Prime sneaks up on her and drugs her with the drops and throws her in the trunk and locks the boot. She goes back in to join the rest of the gang. Because Emily was missing for a while, they ask Emily Prime where she was (they don’t know a switch has happened). She gives an excuse saying she was watching the comet. So the rest of them decide to step out to watch the comet. They watch the comet but get back in.

Coherence Movie Ending Explained

Emily (from this reality) has crawled back into the house, somehow, from the trunk. Emily Prime sees her crawling into the bathroom. She strikes her double with the flush lid and dumps her in the bathtub. In the process, she drops her ring. Emily Prime takes the ring from her double, wears it and steps out. She faints. She wakes up the next morning on the sofa. Lee is preparing breakfast. Beth is getting done with shower. Emily’s unconscious body is not in the bathroom. Emily Prime steps out. Kevin meets her, gives her the ring he says he found in the bathroom. Asks if she’s ok. Emily has two rings now. Kevin’s phone rings. It shows Emily to be calling him. On answering the call, he gives a suspicious look towards Emily Prime and she stares back with guilt. The film ends. The reality that Emily Prime is in now will permanently have 2 Emilys in it. What happens here or in the other realities, well, that’s not part of the Coherence movie. However, we can speculate.

Coherence Ending Meaning

The Coherence Ending shows us that the Prime reality will have an Emily (Prime) who has gone missing and she will never be found because the Comet has passed. The reality we are shown in the end will have two Emilys and this will be the case of an identity crisis for them. Emily Prime will not be able to live happily in that reality because the other Emily is going to fight to take her identity back. When it comes to cross-questions, Emily Prime will have gaps in the events of the reality as they would have happened different from the Prime reality. We don’t know how things will pan out, but she’s going to be hit with a case of assault. Perhaps she would have been better off in her own Reality.

Coherence Movie Explained: Illustration Diagram

Barry is a technologist who helps start-ups build successful products. His love for movies and production has led him to write his well-received film explanation and analysis articles to help everyone appreciate the films better. He’s regularly available for a chat conversation on his website and consults on storyboarding from time to time. Click to browse all his film articles

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Céline dion “had to alter songs on stage before diagnosis”; now she plans las vegas return, director james ward byrkit, producer kate andrews prepping follow-up to 2013 sci-fi thriller ‘coherence’.

By Matt Grobar

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EXCLUSIVE : Director James Ward Byrkit and producer Kate Andrews ( It’s What’s Inside ) are developing a feature follow-up to Coherence , the sci-fi thriller co-written, directed and executive produced by Byrkit, which has garnered a cult following since its release to critical acclaim in 2013.

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Starring Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon and more, Coherence watches as eight friends at a dinner party experience a disturbing chain of reality-bending events when a comet passes by, unraveling hidden truths and testing their grasp on reality. Marking Byrkit’s directorial debut, the film premiered at Fantastic Fest before going on to distribution through Oscilloscope Laboratories. Despite its famously small budget, it’s gone on to be mentioned in numerous Top 10 lists as one of the greatest mind-bending sci-fi thrillers of the 21st century and has garnered a cult-like following amongst science fiction fans and independent filmmakers alike.

In a statement to Deadline on the genesis of the follow-up, Byrkit explained, “I’ve been inundated with pitches for sequels and offers for remakes ever since the film came out but nothing ever inspired us until Kate Andrews sent me an email with two words that unlocked the box. So either Kate’s a genius or she’s from a parallel reality where Alex and I already wrote this and she’s pitching us our own movie.”

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‘ultraman: rising’ review: a famous japanese franchise gets a heartwarming american reboot.

The Netflix animated feature, directed by Shannon Tindle and co-directed by John Aoshima, offers a new take on a classic Japanese series created in the 1960s.

By Jordan Mintzer

Jordan Mintzer

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For millions of Japanese viewers as well as countless fans across the globe, the Ultraman franchise, pitting a giant superhero against giant kaiju creatures of all shapes and breeds, has been a popular staple since it was first launched as a TV series in the 1960s.

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Much of that material won’t seem new, especially for anyone who’s already seen a Godzilla flick, or one of the Pacific Rim movies, or Big Hero 6 . But writer-director Shannon Tindle and co-writer Marc Haimes, who wrote the script for Kubo and the Two Strings , do their best to enhance it: Not only do they add a brand new subplot involving the baseball career of Kenji “Ken” Sato aka Ultraman (voiced by Christopher Sean), but they introduce a real emotional arc about the hero’s traumatic past, as well as an extremely cute fatherhood narrative where Ultraman is suddenly forced to raise an orphaned child.

That child, Emi (Julia Harriman), is no ordinary baby but a pint-sized kaiju dragon, which means she’s about the size of a garbage truck. Pink and cuddly, and with the ability to destroy a state-of-the-art mansion in one temper tantrum, Emi is picked up by Ultraman after a duel with Gigatron, one of many creatures the hero battles as a professional monster-fighter — a job he does while also holding down a career as a professional baller.

If the Spider-Man motto is “with great power comes great responsibility,” the Ultraman motto, at least as the American reboot attempts to explain it, is about using “power to bring balance.” It’s a very Zen-like approach to the superhero métier that’s illustrated by Ken trying to juggle two taxing jobs while also raising the adorable but untamable Emi, who gets more and more unwieldy as he grows older, projectile vomiting and pooping with extreme kaiju force.

While the original Ultraman shows were memorable for their epic live-action battles between monster and man (well, a massive man powered by alien forces and supreme technology), Ultraman: Rising will likely touch viewers, especially ages 10 and under, for its story of a young man trying to be a good dad while also reconnecting with his own estranged father, in what ultimate becomes a parable about responsible parenting.

That doesn’t mean Tindle, who co-directed the film with John Aoshima ( Maya and the Three , DuckTales ), doesn’t deliver the goods when it comes to the genre’s requisite city fights, including an epic attack above the Tokyo Dome while Ken is standing at home plate. The filmmakers also offer up a decent new villain in the form of Dr. Onda (Keone Young), an evil scientist who heads up the KDF (Kaiju Defense Forces) and who was traumatized by his family’s death during a monster attack. Fatherhood, yet again.

Either way, the fight is likely to keep going as long as there are giant monsters roaming about and brave superheroes to stand up to them — and IP that can regenerate itself for decades to come.  

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“Longing” is a remake of an award-winning Israeli film by the same writer/director, Savi Gabizon . It could just as well be called “Grief,” or perhaps the Portuguese term “Saudade,” sometimes described as the feeling of loss for something you never had and never will. Richard Gere plays Daniel Bloch, a never-married, very successful businessman who rides in a limo, schedules his time tightly, and gives crisp directions to his administrative assistant. Anyone who starts out in so much control at the beginning of a film is destined to lose it very quickly and spend the rest of the movie scrambling to try to feel on top of things again. 

Twenty years ago, Daniel broke up with Rachel ( Suzanne Clément ) for reasons we will learn later in the story. She has asked to meet with him, and though he told her he could only spend 45 minutes with her, he comes prepared to share memories and perhaps apologize if she is looking for closure. But she is there for another purpose. 

After they broke up, she returned to her home in Canada. She discovered she was pregnant but never told Daniel because he said he never wanted to be a father. She gave birth to a boy she named Allen. Daniel is overwhelmed with this news, but before he can ask questions or imagine all the possibilities, Rachel tells him that Allen was killed in a car accident. 

Daniel wants to learn something about the boy he never knew. He flies to Canada for what he thinks will be just a couple of days. But he postpones his departure as he goes beyond comforting platitudes to learn more about the complicated life of his biological son. He's also increasingly desperate to somehow find a way to make a meaningful connection with Allen, or at least some contribution to his memory.

Gere is excellent, both in listening to the people who knew Allen and reacting to the sometimes disturbing information he hears. We can feel his sense of loss, especially when we learn why he was so insistent that he could never be a father. Daniel has to go from the ideal Allen he imagines to coming to terms with some harsh and disturbing realities. He begins by using the business judgment that has been his mode of operation for decades. The first person Daniel meets in Canada is Mikey ( Wayne Burns ), a classmate who introduces himself as Allen’s best friend. The conversation quickly shifts from Allen’s talent for music (Daniel asks, “What about regular stuff like sports?”) to Mikey’s request for $5,000 to pay a drug dealer. It's clear that the situation, the result of poor judgment, is urgent, but the best Daniel will do is unpersuasively promise to think about it, a response he has clearly made many times in his job.

Everyone who knew Allen begins with comforting platitudes, but when Daniel asks for more specifics, he finds it difficult to process what he learns. At first, he's defensive, insisting that very vulgar graffiti about a teacher ( Diane Kruger ) is a love poem. And then, he is faced with an even more crushing loss. Tellingly, his most significant conversations, the best scenes in the film, are with three other fathers, two also devastated by grief. It is only in those moments that Daniel begins to move from a desperate need to find some way for him to make a contribution to Allen, even after his death, to a quieter, more meaningful empathy. It also exposes him to fathers who are loving, patient, and devoted. He learns from them and somehow experiences indirectly being fathered himself. Only then can he share the fear that made him determined not to be a father. 

It may appear at first to be too much of a coincidence that everyone Daniel happens to meet has the right message at the right moment to move him forward. That is partly a reflection of his increasing openness to others as the businessman’s mind, which has been his only mode, recedes to allow emotions to surface. 

More importantly, it would be a mistake to take this movie too literally. We see Allen’s obscene and degrading poem come to life in Daniel’s dream and hear stories about Allen’s choices that, at best, show a reckless disregard for others and, at worst, a shocking lack of basic respect and integrity. Daniel’s ultimate act of closure will seem surprising, even bizarre, to many audience members. 

Gabizon is not making a documentary here or attempting any realism. “Longing” is a manifestation of how grief makes emotions overtake reason and the inherent resilience that sometimes requires you to come back to reality. That reality will be diminished but somehow make you whole.

Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com.

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Film credits.

Longing (2024)

111 minutes

Diane Kruger as Alice

Richard Gere

Shauna Macdonald as Emma

Wayne Burns as Mikey

Stuart Hughes as Principal Thomas

• Savi Gabizon

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Coherence Movie Ending that everyone got wrong (Spoilers)

I know this movie has been out for a while but I have only recently viewed it on Netflix(Canada). I immediately had questions about the film and decided to read up everything I can about the movie. I noticed a lot of people missed the ending completely by not paying attention to the continuity errors because MOST of the errors are done on purpose. Therefore, for anyone interested; this is what you should know about the movie after watching it:

Everyone that arrives at the dinner party at different times are from their OWN different dimensions.

We know this by the conversations throughout the movie. For example, Mike explains that he was an actor on the show, "Roswell" while Laurie, who says she, "loves the show" has never seen him on the show. Mike also comments about her yoga while Laurie denies it but then mentions doing yoga when she is speaking to Kevin in the hallway later on in the film. We also hear Mike make a comment about Em having her understudy fill in for her dance performances while she is traveling for a month with Kevin at the end of the film. This Em ended up in a reality where she made all the right choices in the past. I should also point out that she took Kevin up on the offer to not stay the entire duration of the trip but only for a month. This means they had discussed the issue and a choice was made.

2) Every decision creates a new reality and is not only because they walk through the dark void.

An example is when they all go outside together and then walk back into the house to find the wine glass had been broken. We are led to believe that the dark void is the the box from Schrodinger's paradox but it's actually every instant where the outcome is unknown unless acted upon. Everytime they leave the house, it becomes the box splitting up every possible reality the state of the house can be in. It's not until they go back in the house that the a reality is then chosen. The same parallel explains why the Em that is placed in the bathtub is not there in the morning. She is neither alive or dead because everyone outside does not know what happens in the bathroom. It also explains why Laurie even though never left anywhere by herself has memories doing yoga at one point in the movie but also has no recollection of it in the beginning.

3) The original Em DOES end up in the GOOD version of her life.

For this part we will refer Em's as -Em1(original Em) -Em2(Em that was was placed in the trunk) -Em3(Em that fainted at the end) -Em4(Em that crawls back into the house as everyone else is watching the comet)

This is the mind blowing part of the movie once you figure out the previous two key points of the plot. After Em1 puts her alternate version of herself in her trunk, we see her put on that Em2's sweater. She then walks back inside and we see her adjusting the sweater. These shots were done on purpose. Everyone then decides to go look at the comet however Em1 suggests they stay inside, even using excuses such as, "it's really cold out there". Everyone goes outside anyways and for a brief second the screen goes black indicating a power outage but in actuality was meant to hint another change to an alternate reality. (Watch the movie and pay attention Everytime the screen goes black, they are showing the different dimensions) Em3 is not wearing her sweater when the power comes back on. I thought this was a continuity error at first but they filmed specific shots of her with the sweater. I then read that the directors purposely used continuity errors to display the alternate realities (e.g. Mike's shirt being buttoned differently each time a different Mike appears).

What actually happens is we as the viewer is taken to another reality. One where Em1 does not take her sweater off Em2. Em3 then notices another version of herself(Em4) crawling back inside as everyone is looking at the comet. She goes to kill her and leaves her in the bathtub. Em3 then walks out of the bathroom and faints. By understanding my earlier comments about plot points 1 and 2; we know that it's not the black void on the street that swaps realities but every instance where Schrodinger's principle can be applied IS occurring.

What does this mean? Em3 interacted with the current universe by staying in the house overnight making herself part of Em2's universe after the comet passed. Em4 in the bathtub is gone in the morning because no one knew she was there, therefore the two realities did not collapse on each other. She is neither dead or alive because no one else went into that bathroom.

As for the final scene where Kevin receives the phone call from Em2. It is the Em from the trunk because in this reality Em3 did not take Em2's sweater. The sweater in which her cellphone was in. This creates a new dimension where the Em in the bathtub(Em4) was an Em2 that managed to escape the trunk in different reality. A reality where Em1 took Em2's sweater. The Em who fainted(Em3), although was not from this reality is left behind with Em2 because of her interaction with the current reality and is the reason why both trunk Em2 and Em3 are now stuck in the same world.

I hope this explains the movie well enough for those that have watched it. Let me know what you guys think or have any questions.

TL;DR: The entire movie follows one Em until the end of the movie where the characters see the comet break up in the sky. The original Em DOES end up in the Good reality but we are left with the final scene being the reality where the original Em forgets to grab the sweater from the Em that was placed in the trunk. This forms a whole new reality where the Em in the trunk was still wearing the sweater that had her cell phone thus was then able to call Kevin in the morning.

How ‘Bad Actor’ Documentary Unpacked a Notorious Hollywood Ponzi Scheme While Pulling Off Its Own Deception

By Rebecca Rubin

Rebecca Rubin

Senior Film and Media Reporter

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SPOILER WARNING:  This story contains plot details from “ Bad Actor : A Hollywood Ponzi Scheme,” which premiered Thursday at Tribeca Festival .

Just how easy is it to get duped? 

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Though Jensen introduces herself as the filmmaker to everyone she encounters in the documentary, it’s revealed in the final moments of “Bad Actor” that Jensen is just an actor who is playing a director. Documentarian David Darg, whose credits include the Oscar-nominated short “Body Team 12,” was actually the one behind the camera.

“I knew it would be very unlikely that we’d get access to Zach Avery,” Darg says during a joint Zoom interview with Jensen. “So I started thinking about creating a film that was an act of deception; how we might dupe our audience so that we could show how easy it is to be fooled.”

So, Jensen has been pretending on and off-screen for months that she helmed a documentary for Neon that’s now in competition at Tribeca. To blend the lines of fiction and reality, she’s been posting about the project on Instagram , where her friend, Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone, is one of many who have commented to offer Jensen congratulations on her directorial debut.

It also meant that Darg couldn’t tell most people what he’d been working on — nor could he have his name attached to the movie prior to its release. That kind of humility is probably alien to someone like Zach Avery. “I’ve had to let a bit of my director pride fall aside for the experiment,” he says. “But the deception hasn’t run that deep. Fortunately, family and friends knew what I was up to.”

Horwitz, 37, declined to be interviewed for “Bad Actor,” not that this was surprising to Darg. “If I was being prosecuted,” the director cracks, “I would never speak to a documentarian.”

Horwitz was arrested in 2021 for operating a Ponzi scheme that raised as much as $650 million and was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in federal prison. He told investors that he would acquire international film rights and then license them to platforms like Netflix and HBO. But the whole business was fake; Horwitz forged documents and fabricated email and text message exchanges with executives to keep up the scam. He then used the money from victims to repay earlier investors and buy a $6 million Los Angeles, luxury cars and travel by private jet, according to prosecutors.

“For a Ponzi scheme to be successful, the investment should be slightly confusing to the investor,” Darg says. “It worked to Zach’s benefit that he wasn’t preying on people in Hollywood. A lot of his investors came from the heartland, from his hometown, who bought into the glam of Hollywood. I barely understood what the actual scheme was because it was quite complex.”

For research, Darg and Jensen devoured articles in the press and then hit the road to visit Horwitz’s birthplace in Indiana, where they interviewed his classmates and professors, as well as Chicago and Los Angeles, where he lived with his wife at various points. That’s where the filmmakers started to uncover inconsistencies in Zach Avery’s self-described rags-to-riches story. For example, Horwitz told a podcast interviewer that an injury prevented him from playing football at Indiana University. He did tear his A.C.L., but it was playing intramural sports.

“We started to unpack so much of his story that actually wasn’t true,” Darg says. “He would say something in the media, and then we would realize it was a movie quote. It was apparent that almost everything in this guy’s life was a lie.”

Pretending to be the director, Jensen says, helped her get in the head of someone trying to pull off a con. “The more victims we spoke to, the more I realized that if you present yourself a certain way — as someone you aren’t but aspire to be — you can be convincing to people.”

One challenge for Darg was figuring out how much to feature Jensen in “Bad Actor.” The real director wanted to show his avatar as often as possible without revealing the ulterior motive for having her in the film.

The duo had tricks to keep up the illusion while ensuring that Darg could offer notes while filming.

“We went to the FBI headquarters, and I was already nervous because we had to get background checks,” Jensen says. “David was behind the camera. So my way of saying, ‘Do you have any adjustments for me in the next take?; was [How does it look?[ And he’d say either, ‘It looks great’ or ‘Scoot over a little and slow down.’ He was giving a lot of direction. But no one would have clocked it, like, ‘Hey, who’s in charge here?’ It felt collaborative.”

Despite the film’s deceptive nature, Jensen was heartened to learn that humans instinctively want to trust each other. But she cautions people against thinking with their wallets. “Do your diligence. Be careful,” she warns. “If something doesn’t seem right, trust yourself.”

Darg offers another life lesson. “We had a recurring joke on set that you can never trust an actor,” he says. “I don’t believe that. But if someone who is a professional liar by trade is asking you to invest in a dubious company, maybe ask more questions.”

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