Coherence (2014)

On the same night that a comet is passing overhead, a group of friends gather for a dinner party. The news had warned that odd things may occur and they do: e.g. cell phone screens shatter and the power is lost. But what doesn't make as much sense is the way the group behaves. The first thing that happens is that two of the men decide to head for the only house they can see that appears to have lights. Upon their return it becomes clear to everyone that something's not right. So... people keep leaving the house.

This is a super-interesting idea: basically the multi-verse opens up under the meteor and several realities diverge from a single point, meaning that if you leave your own reality, you might not get back at all. I mean, that's pretty trippy. The problems here were manifold, however. 1) The camerawork, which I'm pretty sure was "cell phone work." 2) The dialogue and its delivery. My guess is that there was an outline and motivations provided, but the dialogue itself was improvised. Rather than feeling spontaneous, it felt awkward. 3) The ending. The coherence theory we were taught during the film was that, once the "event" is over (in this case the meteor is no longer near), all realities would cohere. But the very last scene doesn't play by the rules.

I admire the premise, but not the execution.

C