A top-notch suspense thriller from Michael Crichton, the man who gave us WESTWORLD and JURASSIC PARK. Unlike those rousing crowd-pleasing adventure yarns, COMA is a film which works on subtlety, building up a level of quiet suspense unseen in all but 5% of such would-be films. Yes, this is great stuff, with tons of atmosphere and suspense, great acting from the entire cast and a large, complicated (yet easy to follow) plot with far-reaching implications. There are so many great scenes in COMA that it's hard to keep track of them. There's a wonderful stalking sequence in which Bujold finds herself being chased by a murderous mystery man, which makes the best use of a hospital I've yet to see in a movie - forget the gory, boring HALLOWEEN 2, this is the real stuff and with not a drop of blood to be seen. There's also a really nail-biting climax which had me on the edge of my seat - something which only a small handful of films are capable of doing.
Following in the footsteps of other '70s conspiracy films like THE CONVERSATION, COMA lets the plot unfold at a slow pace, building up pieces of a jigsaw until it all falls into place with a horrific clarity. Genevieve Bujold is excellent as the smart and sexy young doctor who acts as the eyes and ears of the audience, as we follow her journey and never get ahead of her in her investigation. The camera-work and music is also great, with fine locations (the Jefferson building couldn't look more sinister) and some excellent visuals, like the famous shot of the comatose bodies suspended from wires in a warehouse. The action set-pieces are well handled and stick in the mind (like the murder of the janitor, for instance, which has the best on screen death by electrocution I've seen).
Bujold is supported by a familiar cast of old and new faces, all of whom put in fine turns. Michael Douglas is the misunderstood boyfriend who helps Bujold in her research, while Richard Widmark has the fun role of the evil mastermind (don't worry, it doesn't take much to work that out) behind the illegal organ donation scheme. The rest of the cast includes Tom Selleck as a victim, Rip Torn as a doctor and a chilling turn from the guy playing the hired killer; it's a shame I don't know the actor as I'd keep an eye out for him. COMA takes the audience on an epic journey, is gripping at all times, and simply one of the best conspiracy-thrillers out there. 100% recommended.
Following in the footsteps of other '70s conspiracy films like THE CONVERSATION, COMA lets the plot unfold at a slow pace, building up pieces of a jigsaw until it all falls into place with a horrific clarity. Genevieve Bujold is excellent as the smart and sexy young doctor who acts as the eyes and ears of the audience, as we follow her journey and never get ahead of her in her investigation. The camera-work and music is also great, with fine locations (the Jefferson building couldn't look more sinister) and some excellent visuals, like the famous shot of the comatose bodies suspended from wires in a warehouse. The action set-pieces are well handled and stick in the mind (like the murder of the janitor, for instance, which has the best on screen death by electrocution I've seen).
Bujold is supported by a familiar cast of old and new faces, all of whom put in fine turns. Michael Douglas is the misunderstood boyfriend who helps Bujold in her research, while Richard Widmark has the fun role of the evil mastermind (don't worry, it doesn't take much to work that out) behind the illegal organ donation scheme. The rest of the cast includes Tom Selleck as a victim, Rip Torn as a doctor and a chilling turn from the guy playing the hired killer; it's a shame I don't know the actor as I'd keep an eye out for him. COMA takes the audience on an epic journey, is gripping at all times, and simply one of the best conspiracy-thrillers out there. 100% recommended.