Coma(1978)
1978 · Michael Crichton · 113 min
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.
Thriller · Mystery · Horror
6.8473 votes
TMDB score
3/5
Intensity
1/5
Gore
3/5
Stays with you
How Coma scares
There's a creeping, clammy unease to this one, the kind that comes from realizing the people who are supposed to protect you might be the danger. It moves slowly and methodically, more like a paranoid conspiracy thriller than a horror movie, letting suspicion and isolation build instead of throwing scares at you. The fear here is quiet and cerebral: hospitals feel cold and unsafe, authority feels untrustworthy, and the dread comes from not knowing who to believe. It's unsettling rather than gory, and it lingers as a nagging discomfort rather than a nightmare.
On The Horror Database's 0–5 scare profile, Coma rates psychological 4/5, visceral 2/5, gore 1/5, lingering effect 3/5, and overall intensity 3/5.
- Psychological: 4 of 5
- Visceral: 2 of 5
- Gore: 1 of 5
- Lingering: 3 of 5
- Intensity: 3 of 5
Slow burn vs Jump scares: 15 of 100 — leans Slow burn
Supernatural vs Real-world: 95 of 100 — leans Real-world
Fun-scary vs Disturbing: 55 of 100 — balanced
Intensity over runtime
Shape only — no eventsReveal pacing shapeHide pacing shapeHidden by default — shows where the tension peaks and lets up.
A slow-building medical mystery that steadily tightens its grip, turning into a tense chase toward a nerve-wracking finish.
Intensity across the runtime, 0 to 100: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 4.
How scary is Coma?
On The Horror Database's 0–5 intensity scale, Coma rates 3/5 — solidly scary, building its fear through slow-burn dread rather than shocks. The fear is mostly in your head — it unsettles far more than it assaults. Expect it to be restrained with gore and scary but not punishing. Some of it will follow you to bed, but it lets go within a day or so.
Watched it? Sign in to confirm whether this profile fits.
