Sci-fi gems come along every once in a while, remain on a streaming service for a period and then slip away again, tragically unseen by many. One of the best sci-fi thrillers of the 21st century, Coherence, is among them, and while it is no longer on Amazon Prime Video in the UK, it is available for anyone to watch for free on Plex, no paid subscription required.
Made on a shoestring budget, Coherence was released without much fanfare and quietly grew in popularity as more people saw its worth. As such, it has now hit an impressive 88 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes as critics and movie-goers alike fall for its clever, compelling charm. Now is a great time to fall for it yourself as a surprising sequel has just been announced, with Coherence director James Ward Byrkit tweeting, "Yes... it's happening..."
As with any good sci-fi movie, Coherence keeps the focus on human relationships and how they are affected under novel circumstances. Without giving too much away, some odd events lead a group of neighbours to band together as they are faced with questions about the nature of what they perceive as their reality.
Coherence is currently available to watch for free on Plex or can be rented on Apple TV or Prime Video for 99p.
Ahead of its time
It may be low budget, but you can expect to see some familiar faces. Buffy fans will be delighted to see Xander, aka Nicholas Brendon, in one of the main roles, while Emily Baldoni (Ghosts Of Girlfriends Past, Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.) leads alongside Maury Sterling of Homeland fame. Every performance is top-notch, drawing you into Byrkit's baffling and fascinating world.
Byrkit, who also wrote the hilarious animation movie Rango and worked in the art department on The Amazing Spider-Man 2, really shows off his writing and directing talents with Coherence. It certainly doesn't scream 'low-budget' despite that being exactly what its production is. If you've seen movies like Primer or Timecrimes, you may have some idea of the budget and feel of this film.
Alongside some impressive and often moving performances that nail the human drama angle, Coherence is still very much science fiction, exploring themes of the multiverse and quantum mechanics – all very popular in movies now, but Coherence was way ahead of its time in this respect. But it manages to stay accessible, all while delving into a wider universe of ideas that leaves you feeling like your mind has been opened and even a little exercised.
Coherence sequel
You can expect a wait of a year or two, but a sequel is happening.
Byrkit told Deadline: “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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