Coma

Based on Robin Cook’s novel, Coma follows surgical resident Susan Wheeler (Geneviève Bujold) as she becomes convinced something sinister is happening within her hospital after a healthy friend falls into a coma during a routine procedure. Filmmaker Michael Crichton does an effective job of immediately capturing the viewer’s interest and attention, as Coma certainly boasts a compelling, distinctive atmosphere that’s heightened by Bujold’s compelling turn as the protagonist (and Michael Douglas is as engaging as ever as Susan’s physician boyfriend) – with the inclusion of a fairly harrowing surgery sequence undoubtedly enhancing the engrossing vibe. From there, however, Coma progresses into an often excessively deliberate midsection focused almost entirely on Susan’s investigation into the hospital’s sinister shenanigans – with the less-than-enthralling nature of most of this stuff wreaking havoc on the picture’s momentum and slowly-but-surely draining one’s ongoing interest. It helps, certainly, that Crichton peppers the narrative with a small handful of admittedly electrifying interludes (eg Susan engages in a violent fight with a shady pursuer), while the exciting climactic stretch ensures that the whole thing ends on a palpably visceral note – which ultimately does cement Coma’s place as a hit-and-miss thriller that could’ve benefited from a shorter running time.

**1/2 out of ****