Coma

Coma

Year: 1978

Runtime: 113 min

Language: French

Director: Michael Crichton

DramaMysteryThrillerHorror

A teenager with the ability to vividly control her dreams finds herself isolated and seeking connection through online platforms. Confined to her room, she explores the unsettling boundaries between her waking life and her dreamscapes. A mysterious YouTuber named Patricia Coma offers guidance, leading her into a world of growing uncertainty and eerie revelations as she struggles to distinguish reality from nightmare.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Coma yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Coma (1978)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Coma (1978). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

late 1970s

Set in a contemporary late-1970s urban hospital, the story reflects the era's medical technology and hierarchical culture. Procedures and investigations unfold amid a climate of suspicion and routine procedures that could hide dangerous secrets. The period's aesthetic—clinical interiors, strict codes, and escalating pressure—amplifies the tension.

Location

Boston Memorial Hospital, Jefferson Institute

Boston Memorial Hospital provides the central setting with tense surgical wards and high-stakes operating rooms. The Jefferson Institute appears as a sterile, distant care facility that hides a dark organ-trafficking operation. Hidden basements, an anatomy lab, and a covert transport network create a claustrophobic backdrop for the drama.

🏥 Hospital 🔬 Medical Research 🚧 Restricted Facility

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:09

Main Characters – Coma (1978)

Meet the key characters of Coma (1978), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dr. Susan Wheeler

An ambitious surgical resident who relentlessly questions suspicious deaths and unusual coma patterns. She is principled, resourceful, and increasingly isolated as she digs deeper. Her determination and courage drive the investigation, even at personal risk.

🩺 Determined 🔎 Curious 💪 Courageous

Dr. George Harris

Chief of Surgery who appears reputable but is revealed as the mastermind behind the coma-inducing scheme. He uses charm and authority to manipulate staff and mask his illegal operation. His ruthlessness is contrasted with his professional facade, making him a dangerous antagonist.

💼 Charismatic 🕵️ Deceptive ⚖️ Ruthless

Mark Bellows

Susan's physician boyfriend who is supportive yet increasingly cautious about the hospital's secrets. He provides emotional support and helps expose the conspiracy, reinforcing the theme of trust under pressure. His loyalty is tested as the danger escalates.

💬 Supportive 🧭 Skeptical 🏥 Medical

Nancy Greenly

Healthy young woman whose coma and death trigger the investigation. Her tragic outcome reveals the human cost of the hospital's secrets. Her case motivates Susan to pursue the truth despite personal risk.

😢 Tragic 🩸 Victim 🕊️ Innocent

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:09

Major Themes – Coma (1978)

Explore the central themes of Coma (1978), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💉 Medical Ethics

The film centers on the tension between patient welfare and lucrative medical practices. It shows how routine surgeries can be manipulated to harvest organs, exposing a systemic breach of consent and care. Susan's quest to uncover the truth highlights the vulnerability of patients in a profit-driven environment. The story warns about ethical boundaries when power and money blur professional duties.

🔎 Investigation

An ordinary physician's routine becomes a web of clues as Susan traces suspicious patterns in patient outcomes and hospital processes. The search leads her through restricted zones, hidden facilities, and a dangerous conspiracy. The suspense hinges on careful observation, deduction, and the courage to challenge authority. It celebrates the patient advocate archetype in a medical thriller.

⚖️ Power and Corruption

Behind the hospital's polished veneer hides a hierarchy that enables exploitation. Dr. Harris leverages authority, secrecy, and procedural control to conceal the organ trade. The film exposes how institutional power can be corrupted by greed. Authority becomes a weapon in a system designed to protect profits.

🌐 Organ Trafficking

The central plot reveals a covert international organ trade disguised as a low-cost care program. Donated organs move through a shadowy network from hospital to courier to the airport. The thriller uses medical environments to critique a global market that commodifies human body parts. The revelation rejects the assumption that medical care is purely benevolent.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:09

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Female-Led Conspiracy Thrillers like Coma

One woman uncovers a sinister truth that powerful forces want to keep hidden.If you liked the tense investigation in Coma, you'll enjoy these movies featuring women who uncover sinister plots. These stories share a mood of paranoia and high stakes, pitting a lone protagonist against powerful, corrupt systems in a fight for survival.

investigativeparanoidsuspensefulsinisterclaustrophobicanxious

Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a clear investigative arc: from initial suspicion and disbelief, to gathering evidence while facing increasing danger, culminating in a risky confrontation to reveal the conspiracy. The protagonist often operates alone, facing betrayal and threats that test her resilience.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread are grouped by their shared focus on a solo female investigator, the high-tension mood of being hunted by a hidden enemy, and the steady pacing of an unfolding mystery with life-or-death stakes.

Claustrophobic Psychological Thrillers like Coma

Stories where tension builds from a confined setting and growing paranoia.Fans of the suffocating tension and paranoid atmosphere in Coma will find similar experiences here. This thread gathers movies that masterfully use confined settings and psychological pressure to create a deeply unsettling and suspenseful mood.

claustrophobicsuspensefulparanoidanxiousuneasysinisterpsychological

Narrative Summary

The narrative often unfolds in a limited space, amplifying the protagonist's isolation and vulnerability. The central conflict is internal as much as external, focusing on the character's deteriorating mental state and their struggle to discern truth from manipulation while feeling trapped.

Why These Movies?

These movies are connected by their shared, oppressive mood of claustrophobia and paranoia, a steady pacing that methodically builds unease, and a focus on psychological tension over physical action.

Unlock the Full Story of Coma

Don't stop at just watching — explore Coma in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Coma is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Coma Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Coma, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Coma Summary

Coma Timeline

Track the full timeline of Coma with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Coma Timeline

Coma Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Coma that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

Coma Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Coma

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Coma: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About Coma

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