The concept of alternate realities can evoke both wonder and fear. What if there were multiple versions of the world, nearly identical, and you could move between them unknowingly? This is the haunting premise explored in the 2013 film Coherence, directed by James Ward Byrkit. The movie dives into the idea of parallel universes and the unsettling reality that comes with being able to traverse them without awareness.
The film begins with Em (Emily Baldoni), who attends a dinner party with her boyfriend Kevin (Maury Sterling), and their friends. The gathering takes place on the same night a comet is set to pass close to Earth. At first, Em’s primary concern is the presence of Amir (Alex Manugian), who brings along Kevin’s ex-girlfriend, Laurie (Lauren Maher). Tensions rise as Kevin reminisces with Laurie at the dinner table, revealing that their past is far from settled. However, Em’s anxieties about her relationships quickly take a backseat to an even more profound disturbance.
Suddenly, the group is thrown into chaos when the power goes out. Hugh (Hugo Armstrong) and Amir decide to check out a nearby house, which is still lit. When they return, they’re visibly shaken and holding a box containing odd objects like a ping pong paddle and photos of the friends, all marked with red ink. Hugh then drops the bombshell: at the other house, they encounter alternate versions of themselves.
Coherence Ending Explained
As the night unfolds, it becomes clear that the comet has opened a rift in space and time, allowing access to multiple, very similar realities. Throughout the 90-minute runtime, characters unknowingly switch between realities, creating confusion and tension. Some, like Mike (Nicholas Brendon), are eager to confront their alternate selves, while others see the shift as an opportunity to get ahead and “trade up.”
The group’s tensions reach a breaking point as they realize the magnitude of the situation. Em overhears the same conversation twice between Beth (Elizabeth Gracen) and Lee (Lorene Scafaria), which begins to hint at something much more sinister. This realization deepens when the random items found in the box are revealed to symbolize each version of the group’s reality. By the end of the night, only Em, Kevin, and Laurie remember the ping pong paddle, while the rest of the characters recall other random items like an oven mitt, napkin, and stapler. This marks the moment when it becomes apparent that the people they’ve been interacting with are not the originals, but alternate versions of themselves.
As the friends argue, Em finds herself desperate to escape. After witnessing an intimate moment between Kevin and Laurie, Em decides to find a reality where she can be with Kevin without the interference of Laurie. She ventures through several identical houses, all containing groups of friends engaged in tense or hostile conversations. One house even features Kevin and Laurie snuggling together, much to Em’s distress. However, she finally stumbles upon a house where the group is enjoying a calm, happy evening, and Kevin and Em are still a loving couple.
Seizing the opportunity, Em knocks out her alternate self and locks her in the shower, then takes her place. When she wakes up the next morning, her alternate version has disappeared, and she believes she has successfully swapped realities. However, the illusion shatters when Kevin, now standing outside with the woman he believes is his girlfriend, receives a call from Em who should still be unconscious in the bathroom. Kevin looks at the imposter with disbelief as the screen cuts to black, leaving the audience to wonder about the true nature of the swap.
How the Characters Switch Realities in Coherence
The film establishes early on that there is a strange, vast expanse of darkness surrounding the group’s location. This darkness serves as a portal to alternate realities. Whenever someone steps into it, they exit into another version of the world. The tricky part is that the new reality they enter is completely random, making any attempt to return to a prior reality an unpredictable gamble.
The first characters to venture outside are Amir and Hugh, but the original versions of these characters don’t reappear. Soon after, Em, Kevin, Mike, and Laurie find themselves stepping into new realities, further complicating their situation. Meanwhile, Mike tries to blackmail his alternate self, inadvertently slipping into yet another reality. Beth and Lee are the only two who never leave the house, remaining in the same reality throughout the night. Although all versions of the characters appear nearly identical, subtle differences begin to emerge as the story progresses.
The film incorporates a scientific concept to explain the realities’ existence. Hugh, whose brother is a science instructor, explains the thought experiment of Schrödinger’s cat. In simple terms, the experiment imagines placing a cat in a box with a vial of poison. Until the box is opened, the cat exists in a state of being both alive and dead. This concept, grounded in quantum physics, suggests that multiple realities can coexist in separate dimensions. According to Hugh, the comet’s influence causes quantum coherence, collapsing these separate realities into one.
The Fate of the Original Characters in Coherence
At the heart of Coherence are Em, Kevin, and Laurie, the three characters whose journey we follow from start to finish. Director James Ward Byrkit has confirmed that these three are the only ones whose transitions between realities we witness, with the audience traveling along with them. Em’s decision to leave her reality comes after she can no longer tolerate the growing affection between Kevin and Laurie. She hopes that by stepping into a new reality, she can escape the uncomfortable dynamics and find happiness with Kevin.
After Em makes the switch, she believes she has found a world where things are better, and Laurie no longer feels like a rival. However, her plan backfires. Although Em thinks she has rid herself of the alternate version of herself, the final moments of the film suggest otherwise. When Kevin receives a phone call from Em still locked in the bathroom, it indicates that two versions of Em now coexist in the same reality.
This twist implies that the realities have been permanently altered. With the comet’s passage, there are no more shifts into alternate worlds. Em, trapped in a reality that is not her own, is now forced to deal with the consequences of her choices. In this final reality, Kevin seems to be more affectionate than ever, but Em’s presence now represents a potential threat. This shift in dynamics spells disaster for the new reality, as the group’s seemingly calm existence teeters on the brink of collapse.
