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Coma

Coma

Imagine your life hangs by a thread. Imagine your body hangs by a wire. Imagine you're not imagining.

1978113 minPGMidcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Director
Michael Crichton
Starring
Geneviève Bujold, Michael Douglas, Elizabeth Ashley, Rip Torn

When relatively healthy patients begin having 'complications' during simple operations and ending up in comas, a concerned doctor defies her male superiors when she suspects a secret plot.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Coma?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Coma to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Coma?

Coma earns 7 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Breakout role.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Coma worth watching?

Coma's Midcredits score is the 77th percentile of all films, from 38K ratings across 6 sources. 69% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

77th percentile

Better received than 77% of films

79th percentile among Drama77th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)74th
Approval (how many liked it)77th

68 /100

74th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Drama75th percentile among 1970s

Critics 60 · Audience 69

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

69% liked it

77th percentile of all films

79th percentile among Drama78th percentile among 1970s
69% rated it 7–1031% rated it 1–6

Critics 81% · Audience 66%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

90th percentile

38K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Drama94th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 18% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$4.5M

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a solidly made medical thriller with a strong lead performance and effectively creepy set pieces, but detractors find it too formulaic and implausible to fully satisfy.

Fans praised

  • Building tension with Hitchcockian suspense and an eerie atmosphere
  • Genevieve Bujold's committed, headstrong lead performance
  • Effective plotting that holds back cards for a satisfying reveal

Detractors panned

  • Predictable, clichéd suspense derived from the source novel
  • Plausibility strained by simplistic plotting and logic gaps
  • Dialogue and themes dated, particularly Bujold's 'man's world' confrontations

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive80

Creepy, claustrophobic hospital and Jefferson Institute settings

CinematographyDivisive80

Good camera work, Boston locations, and the striking image of hanging coma patients

Acting75

Bujold is praised as headstrong and committed; Michael Douglas and Elizabeth Ashley add support, but detractors see wasted talent

TensionDivisive75

Effective suspense sequences, though not always original

Pacing70

Suspense builds effectively toward a tense conclusion

Plot and storyDivisive55

Engaging conspiracy thriller with predictable twists and occasional logic gaps

Characters50

Susan Wheeler is compelling, but supporting characters are thinly drawn and secondary

Originality45

Derivative of Hitchcock but still a solid medical thriller

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 11 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Coma like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material straight and earnestly, delivering a serious conspiracy thriller without irony or distancing.
The rideThe mood is built on escalating dread and tension as the investigation deepens, peaking near the end.
StructureThe story follows a conventional three-act arc: introduction of the mystery, investigation and mounting danger, and final confrontation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingInfuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering unease about institutional medical ethics and the vulnerability of patients, and a sense of outrage at the ruthless exploitation.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% (this title) · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Corporate villainy: A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Mystery underneath

Why this archetypeDr. Susan Wheeler uncovers and fights a hospital conspiracy that deliberately induces comas in healthy patients to harvest their organs. The investigation is the engine of the first half, and the exposure and confrontation of the criminal organization drive the second.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsTruth · 4% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores a determined search for justice and truth within a medical system that may be hiding deadly secrets.
StanceThe film warns about institutional corruption in medicine and the dangers of unchecked power.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · Jerry Goldsmith
Settinga modern American hospital
MusicJerry Goldsmith's score amplifies the tension and sterile, clinical dread.

Content guide

Is Coma okay for kids?

PG

Coma is rated PG. As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (58/100), sexual content at moderate (47/100), language at moderate (53/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at intense (73/100). Overall it is heavier than 96% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland15
  • JapanG
  • Greece16
  • Hungary16
  • Netherlands12
  • Poland12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 60% of all filmsHeavier than 96% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 90%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 91%
Profanity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 93%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 86%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
heavy for a PG-rated film
heavier than 97%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is frightening material.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Coma have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Coma?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Geneviève Bujold
as Dr. Susan Wheeler
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Michael Douglas
as Dr. Mark Bellows
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Elizabeth Ashley
as Mrs. Emerson
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.
Rip Torn
as Dr. George
Richard Widmark
as Dr. George Harris
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lois Chiles
as Nancy Greenly
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Lance LeGault
as Vince
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Hari Rhodes
as Dr. Morelind
Gary Barton
as Computer Technician
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Frank Downing
as Kelly
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Coma?

Movies like Coma include Extreme Measures (1996), Looker (1981) and The Alphabet Killer (2008). Of the 5 closest matches, most are conspiracy thrillers, and two are films about medicine.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Coma?

311 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: medical drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.