Coma Poster

Coma (1978)

Drama | Mystery 
Rayting:   6.9/10 17.5K votes
Country: USA
Language: English
Release date: 13 July 1978

When a young female doctor notices an unnatural amount of comas occurring in her hospital she uncovers a horrible conspiracy.

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moonspinner55 7 April 2002

As a squirrelly doctor at a Boston hospital who smells a rat when her best friend mysteriously goes into an anesthesia-related coma during a routine operation, Genevieve Bujold proves once again what a dynamic presence she is on the screen. Cool-headed one moment, hysterical and running-in-all-directions the next, she's instantly identifiable to us. As a mystery-thriller that is so filled with continuity errors, gaps in logic and a final act that gives the audience the satisfying release it needs but at the risk of all credibility, "Coma" shouldn't work (and, indeed, many fans of Robin Cook's wordy book didn't think it did). However, as a trashy, one-box-of-popcorn melodrama, the film is very enjoyable and suspenseful. Not the least of the reasons why it's so good is Bujold; handling herself like one of the best crime detectives ever concocted, she is gutsy, feisty, nosy and infectious. You never tire of her spirit. *** from ****

Pelrad 13 March 1999

Fmovies: Mystery suspense-thrillers don't get much better than this! "Coma" is an overlooked 1978 film that stars Canadian actress Genevieve Bujold ("Anne of the Thousand Days", "Tightrope") and Michael Douglas, with surprise appearances from Ed Harris and Tom Selleck. Bujold plays a doctor who discovers that too many patients are going into unexplained comas after routine surgery. But no-one will believe her and keep rationalizing it. She soon learns that there is a conspiracy larger than could be imagined. Similar but superior in many ways to the more recent "Extreme Measures" with Hugh Grant. Although some may be disappointed by the weak resolution at the end of the film, an effectively frightening score and edge-of-your-seat suspense make this one of the best thrillers in history, and the film proves that modern special effects and superhuman stunts and action are not necessary to make a movie of this genre a winner. I also liked the fact that, like the "Alien" films, the lead role was by a female who didn't "whimp" out as many do in these kind of flicks. (10 out of 10)

cyrillmandrake 13 January 2011

Love this picture. It should have become a suspense classic but for some reason it has ended up being aired on anything but prime time on various TV-networks. I believe that this might be due to it not being one of Michael Douglas's most memorable films. His heart really didn't seem to be in it. Maybe he and Genevieve Bujold didn't hit it off or that it's more of her film than his. The other actors did swell, especially Widmark, Torn and Ashley.

Bujold gives an energetic performance and is utterly believable as the paranoid yet justifiably suspicious doctor seeking the answer to the question: "There have been 12 cases of unexplained coma in young healthy patients the last year; don't you find that surprising?" And everybody replies: "No." And there's of course the priceless Jefferson Institute.

The sequence where the protagonists approach its sinister exterior is very well done in a Hitchcockian fashion. Its inside and creepy activities are fundamental, not merely to the story, but to the overall impact of this picture. I was somewhat disappointed to be informed of it being owned by Xerox at the time of the shooting. And now by a shoe brand...

Uthman 23 April 2000

Coma fmovies. In COMA, petite heroine Genevieve Bujold shows you don't have to be an amazon like Sigourney Weaver or Lucy Lawless to get physical with the bad guys. Set against a hospital backdrop ranking in verisimilitude with that of THE HOSPITAL (the only other accurate medical drama of the 1970's), this is a gripping thriller even on repeat viewing over twenty years later. Bujold's acting has been mentioned by other reviewers, but I would award special accolades to Richard Widmark, whose character's unctuous avuncularity is executed with superb subtlety. Plus, he even comports himself just like a real physician of seniority.

I do have a few complaints, not least of which is the gratuitous and grossly inaccurate portrayal of clinical lab personnel and the laboratory environment. Shame on Crichton, who must have missed out on visiting the lab through his entire tenure as a medical student. The laserdisc transfer is technically one of the worst I have in my collection. The monaural soundtrack is overdriven and distorted; the colors are washed out; and careless unmasking of the print (COMA is not letterboxed) results in visible boom mikes in several shots.

Still, this is a classic film, and anyone who wants to get up to speed on medical movies wouldn't want to exclude COMA.

Robert_duder 26 April 2002

I decided to pick up this film originally because it was an early Michael Douglas movie, and Michael Crighton wrote and directed this screenplay. By the cover it had all the elements for a great movie, and the movie brought no disappointment. It was absolutely intriguing and brilliantly filmed. The background of the cold sterile hospital was haunting and perfect. Each actor whether big or small brought a twist to the story. The main character who played Dr. Susan Wheeler was perfect as the stern, and cold Doctor who's best friend goes in for a routine operation and then is rendered into a mysterious brain dead Coma. Dr. Wheeler begins to notice strange "coincidences" around the hospital and starts to investigate other "Coma" cases. What she unravels is a top secret plot that goes right to the very top. The story unravels perfectly and the tension and clues are superb. You can't get a much better 2 hour movie. It's definately a movie that you might be tempted to pass by but it's worth renting. Michael Douglas is even great, although only in it as a supporting character, as Dr. Wheeler's Doctor boyfriend who she tries to convince something terrible is going on within the hospital. You never know who might be involved in this plot and you're waiting for it all to unravel. The only negative aspect of this movie was the ending happens very very quickly, kind of leaves you feeling a little hurried but still an first class movie. Also look for Tom Selleck portraying a patient/dead body. You can't go wrong with this movie. 8/10

dougdoepke 12 November 2012

From now on I'm staying away from hospitals, no matter how cute the nurses, and especially if they stick something up my nose. The movie may be a one-track screenplay, but it's a first- rate thriller accelerating suspense by the minute. So what the heck is going on at this prestige hospital where too many folks are collapsing into comas after ordinary procedures. From the marquee, you'd expect Michael Douglas (Dr. Mark) to be the heroic bloodhound. But he's not. Instead, it's a she, sweet looking, little Bujold (Dr.Wheeler) who takes all the risks from climbing into the clouds to burying assassins in a pile of cadavers—an unforgettable scene. Underneath the riveting suspense, this is really a sneaky feminist-type film.

I really like the way we can never be sure about Douglas. Sometimes he's helpful and affectionate, but then there are the darker fleeting moments that add a good unsettling note. At the same time, the great Richard Widmark (Dr. Harris) is suavely slimy as the head doctor. And what about that Jefferson Institute. It may be the most sinister looking modern building I've seen, more like a futuristic prison, which I guess it is. Anyway, there are a number of unforgettably imaginative scenes that, along with a riveting screenplay, make this a first-rate nail-biter.

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