The Sci-Fi Mind-Bender That Became a Cult Classic
When Coherence was released in 2013, few expected it to become one of the most talked-about low-budget sci-fi films of the decade. Shot in just five nights on a shoestring budget with mostly improvised dialogue, the film captivated audiences with its intricate puzzle-box narrative centered around parallel realities triggered by a passing comet.
It remains one of the best examples of what clever writing and bold ideas can achieve without big studio backing.
But what if I told you Coherence has a hidden follow-up—a film made in its shadow, unofficially linked to its universe, and just as unsettling?
Because it does. And hardly anyone’s talking about it.
Introducing The Invitation (2015): A Thematic Successor
Directed by Karyn Kusama and released just two years later, The Invitation is not a direct sequel in name or story. But for fans of Coherence, the parallels are impossible to ignore.
Both films:
- Take place during an intimate dinner party.
- Feature unresolved emotional baggage between guests.
- Use a single home as the entire setting.
- Gradually unravel into psychological (and potentially cosmic) horror.
- Build tension through small, disorienting shifts in behavior and logic.
- End with a disturbing twist that recontextualizes everything.
While The Invitation doesn’t involve a comet or doppelgängers explicitly, there are strong fan theories that place it within the same multiverse continuum hinted at in Coherence. And some online communities refer to it as a “spiritual sequel.”
Director Overlap: Not Direct, But Intellectually Connected
Unlike traditional sequels, there’s no overlap in director or cast between Coherence and The Invitation. But James Ward Byrkit, the mind behind Coherence, has acknowledged that he was inspired by minimalist thrillers that let interpersonal dynamics unravel slowly. The Invitation feels like the next step in that evolution.
There’s a shared DNA—an atmosphere of unreliability, paranoia, and quantum-level unease.
In fact, Byrkit hinted in a 2021 podcast interview that he and a few collaborators have talked about continuing Coherence in a “non-traditional way,” possibly through interconnected films instead of a direct narrative sequel.
The Final Shot That Links Them
Spoilers ahead.
At the end of Coherence, protagonist Emily escapes her corrupted timeline and seemingly finds her way into a “better” version of her world—only to discover she’s replaced a version of herself who’s already there.
Meanwhile, The Invitation concludes with a haunting reveal: red lanterns lighting up across Los Angeles, suggesting that what happened at this one dinner party was part of a widespread, simultaneous event—possibly involving mass manipulation or a ritualistic phenomenon across many homes.
Now imagine for a second: What if Coherence and The Invitation are showing two angles of the same cosmic event? One rooted in quantum duplication, the other in spiritual infiltration?
The idea isn’t official—but it’s chillingly plausible.
A Hidden Universe of Paranoia and Multiplicity
More evidence?
Reddit sleuths have pointed out matching production elements between the two films: set design patterns, similar framing techniques, recurring symbols (like broken glass, doors left ajar, and empty hallways), and the motif of characters being out of sync with reality.
While that might be coincidence, Byrkit’s passion for subtle Easter eggs makes it worth a closer look.
Add to this the fact that both films were distributed in niche festival circuits and never received wide theatrical releases. Their cult popularity has grown online, where crossover theories thrive.
Will We Ever Get an Official Sequel?
In short—probably not. At least not in the traditional sense.
James Ward Byrkit has expressed that Coherence works best as a closed-loop experience. “A sequel would answer questions that should stay unanswered,” he once said. But he’s also teased the idea of revisiting the concept in another medium—perhaps VR, interactive storytelling, or even a limited series.
So while Coherence 2 may never arrive with that exact title, its influence is already spreading quietly across indie sci-fi—especially in films like The Invitation, The Endless, and Vivarium.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to see The Invitation to enjoy Coherence, but watching both reveals something rare: a subtle cinematic dialogue between two films that treat reality like something slippery, fragmented, and full of dread.
Whether it’s official or not, The Invitation feels like the next chapter in a shared universe of psychological unraveling. And that might be the scariest multiverse of all.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
A hidden thematic sequel that deepens the rabbit hole for fans of layered, reality-bending horror.