Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

For years and years, I've always wanted to see this film, but just never got around to it. Finally, after having it in the Netflix queue for years, I just moved it up and finally saw it. It's a good thriller, though a bit flat and predictable.

Coma has its moments. It starts out rather slowly (or leisurely), building up the situation of the setting, a hospital that houses Genevieve Bujold, Michael Douglas, Rip Torn, and Richard Widmark. You don't see that in many films nowadays, where it's just a little expository dialogue to explain the situation, then rush into the plot. Despite the fact that writer/director Michael Crichton created ER with its incessant moving, hand held camera moves, here he uses more traditional and effective framing. The build up is nicely done, and there's a ton of medical information thrown at you, so pay attention.

There are effective scenes, such as when Bujold is chased by a man set out to kill her, her climbing through shafts to get at the mystery, a funny scene in the morgue (with Ed Harris in one of his first roles), and the eerily effective, surreal Jefferson Institute scenes, which are still unsettling today (this is the scene where you see the bodies hanging from the wires). Bujold's escape from this facility is very well done. The ending, however, is very flat and rather predictable. It undermines a credible (and still plausible) suspense thriller.

Coma is a good film, not a great one, but one that has dated little (except for a really cheesy romantic montage sequence in the middle of the film, which is unintentionally hilarious), and still poses disturbing questions. It's not a particulary deep film, but a good one.

The movie has managed to stand its time quite well and does not seem overly aged when presented today. Michael Douglas role and his interpretation is not something to write home about but there are quite a few interesting performances in smaller parts by actors later becoming quite known (see how many you can spot)

The topic is ever more relevant these days and thus keeping the movie relevant to todays audiences despite its flaws.