Coherence Ending Explained (Spoilers)

Strange things begin to happen when a group of friends gather for a dinner party on an evening when a comet is passing overhead.

Coherence: Spoilers Below

People are fascinated by the idea of alternate realities because it allows them to imagine what could be. However, it also terrifies them because it makes them realize their reality's fragility. Alternate realities can be very different from our own, or they can be nearly identical. Either way, they offer a glimpse into what could be, which can be both exciting and terrifying.

In James Ward Byrkit's 2013 film Coherence, a group of eight people must deal with the aftermath of a comet passing overhead. The story begins with Em meeting her boyfriend Kevin and friends for a dinner party on the night of the comet's passing. At first, Em is only concerned that Amir will bring Laurie, Kevin's ex-girlfriend. But unfortunately, there is unfinished business between the two as Kevin recalls positive memories with Laurie at the dinner table. Soon, competition is the least of Em's problems.

The power going out leads to Hugh and Amir finding the only lit house nearby. They come back looking shocked, holding a box with a ping pong paddle and pictures of themselves with numbers written on them in red ink. Hugh saw clones of themselves at the other house.

The characters in "Coherence" find that the comet has created doorways to parallel alternate realities during the 90-minute runtime and most unwittingly pass through these doorways during the night. As some people prepare to fight their alternate selves, others see it as an opportunity to improve their lives.

The Ending of Coherence

The group falls apart when they realize that some members have been living in alternate realities. This conclusion is based on events like Em overhearing the same conversation twice between Beth and Lee.

However, the group's factual situation is evident by the random item in the box. Each parallel version of the group chose an item randomly to remind them of their reality. In the end, only Em, Laurie, and Kevin remember the ping pong paddle. Beth and Lee remember an oven mitt, Mike a napkin, and Hugh and Amir a stapler. As the group and viewers realize, many of the characters initially met were swapped for different versions of themselves from another reality.

Em decides to leave the hostile environment she is in for a better one. While doing so, she falls into a world of identical houses containing the same versions of themselves who are angry with each other. In one alternate reality, Kevin and Laurie are shown together, contentedly snuggling. Em eventually finds a world where everyone enjoys a peaceful evening, and she and Kevin are a happy couple.

Our heroine, Em, subdues and hides the happier version of herself in the shower, then takes her place. The following day, the original Em wakes up to find that the happier version has vanished, leading her to believe that the switch went undetected. However, while standing outside with the woman he considers to be his girlfriend, Kevin receives a call from his actual girlfriend, who was supposedly unconscious in the bathroom. He gives the imposter a perplexed look before the movie ends.

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