Amidst a period of unprecedented world events, an eighteen-year-old girl’s life is placed on hold. Isolated in her bedroom, she falls under the spell of the mysterious vlogger Patricia Coma. As time carries on, the lines between her dreams, fears, hopes, and reality begin to blur into one another.
From French master Bertrand Bonello (The Beast, Zombi Child, Nocturama), COMA is “a neo-Lynchian slow burn masterpiece” (International Cinephile Society) that creates a dream-like representation of our present. A “delirious marvel” (The Playlist) that breaks apart boundaries of genre, filmmaking, and storytelling, COMA bravely confronts the anxieties of today in order to imagine the possibilities of the future.
For thoughts on Coma, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Coma arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Film Movement with a very strong 1080p presentation that captures the contained aesthetic well. This film primarily takes place within a single bedroom, but it uses techniques such as animation, Zoom, and other brief sojourns into a liminal dream space to expand the story. While some of the screen-based content has built-in limitations, the other footage looks great with textures on the clothing, production design, and environmental backgrounds. The B-Roll footage of nature that bookends the film also looks crisp and detailed.
Colors are deftly saturated as with the Simon-esque game played by our main character with light-up colors. Skin tones look natural, and there are some facial details present such as minor blemishes. There is a grand amount of detail in close-up shots. A portion of the film takes place at night or in shadows, and interior settings hold up impeccably at every turn. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies are not an issue in the slightest. Black levels are deep with no crush, and highlights sidestep issues of blooming. The film looks great on Blu-Ray for fans.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track in the original French that sounds pretty excellent. Optional English subtitles are available, but there are some instances such as the text bookends when the original French text is burned in at the bottom while the optional English subtitles show up at the top, meaning two subtitles running simultaneously. This is a bit annoying and seems like something that could have been fixed for the sake of consistency.
The movie is largely dialogue-driven with a reserved soundscape throughout. When in the netherworld, there are moments of intense sound from screaming souls. The film makes good use of panning effects to displace the viewer. Environmental sounds come through well in the side and rear speakers. Dialogue is clear without being trounced by the score or various sound effects. This is not a film that wakes up the low end very often, but it is not completely absent. Overall, this track is a winner from Film Movement.
Special Features
- Commentary: Director Bertrand Bonello gives a very informative commentary track in which he discusses the origin of the film, how the lockdowns informed this no-budget shoot, inspirations for various moments, the work of the performers, and more.
- Trailers: A minute-and-a-half-long trailer is provided for Coma.
Final Thoughts
Coma is a pandemic-era film that captures the anxieties of the time yet does not feel locked into that era in a dated way. Bertrand Bonello expertly navigates feelings of isolation and the impact of social media influencers in a way that feels omnipresent. This is no straightforward affair as the feature weaves in bizarre asides and stylistically nimble statements with the utmost precision. It is not the most refined feature from Bonello, but it is an abrasive artistic statement that demands your attention. Film Movement has provided a Blu-Ray with a terrific A/V presentation along with an illuminating commentary track. Those with an affinity for the filmmaker should give it a whirl. Recommended
Coma is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Film Movement and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
