Coherence

Set at a countryside home, this metaphysical thriller follows a casual gathering of eight friends that coincides with a comet passing overhead in the night sky. As the evening begins, Emily (Emily Baldoni), a ballet dancer who inadvertently jettisoned her best chance for a career, is upset that Laurie (Lauren Maher)—the flirtatious, former girlfriend of Emily's boyfriend, Kevin (Maury Sterling)—is joining them for dinner as the guest of Amir (Alex Manugian). Also on hand are Mike (Nicholas Brendon), an actor who worked on TV's spooky Roswell, and his wife Lee (Lorene Scafaria), along with Hugh (Hugo Armstrong) and Beth (Elizabeth Gracen). When the astronomic anomaly coincides with a loss of electricity, these people react differently, but all are intrigued by a house two blocks down the street that seems to have lights. Various expeditions occur—until they discover that it replicates the house they're in, with alternate versions of themselves enjoying a dinner party. Not surprisingly, this ignites rampant paranoia as everyone's concept of reality is challenged. Cleverly written and directed by James Ward Byrkit, this low-budget contemporary mindbender plays like an extended Twilight Zone episode. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer-director James Ward Byrkit, writer-costar Alex Manugian, and costar Emily Foxler, a behind-the-scenes featurette (17 min.), camera test footage (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a mind-bending film.] (S. Granger)