Coyotes Review
As if living in suburbia in California couldn’t be more complicated, there’s something other than the once-in-a-lifetime quake that Westcoasters have to worry about. That would be the occasional animal break-in, which is usually caused by wild fauna like bears. Although, in the case of Coyotes, an animal-centric horror movie, those break-ins are caused by said creatures. Albeit, unlike the real world, these beasts might have some supernatural abilities to hunt their prey, which makes for a weird, darkly comedic film that almost works with its charms.
Coyotes focuses on a rich Californian family in the Hollywood hills, cared for by patriarch Scott (Justin Long). Though they like to live their affluent lives, they are slowly thrusted into survival mode when things start to go wrong. From natural disasters that destroy their only means to escape to a pack of savage coyotes that hunt them and their neighbors, this family must do whatever they can to escape these feral jaws of death.
The best way to describe Coyotes’s tone is that it’s pessimistically whimsical while still maintaining its jovial family beats. At its core, the film wants to be a story about these familial ties that bind and what happens if we forget that. This primarily shows through Scott, who’s your usual busy dad who’s too invested into his artwork to fully care for his wife and daughter. Throughout the film, when it’s not trying to be too cynical about the complacency of richness, it’s these simple moments of calm that help maintain some realism.
This also shows through the motherly dynamic between Scott’s wife, Liv (Katherine McNamara), and daughter Chloe (Mila Harris). Unlike Scott, Liv wants her daughter to also enjoy the family time they spend together, albeit when they can. Yet, Chloe, who’s that angsty teen, doesn’t want to because of her dad’s priorities. It sets up a familiar narrative dilemma where they have to resolve this generational difference, which it develops to the best of its ability given some of the imposed external obstacles, like the wildfire.
However, it tries to be too satirical with some of its character choices, specifically with its colorful bunch of side characters. Whether it be a disgruntled exterminator who’s gone full PTSD-mode to a raunchy deviant who’s too into his messed up ways, the film makes it clear that these are disposable characters. Though, they do get some moments to revel in the spotlight, but they’re mostly action-focused and require some time to get to. While some of them only serve to give the audience some fun kills, others do have their minor roles to play in helping Scott’s family.
One character does fill this position of an actual supporting character: Julie (Brittany Allen), a prostitute who eventually gets out of the deviant’s shadow to care for the family. Her involvement in the story doesn’t fully reveal itself until halfway through, but it’s nice to see how director Colin Minihan is able to give her more prominence. It felt good to see a character who you’d usually pass on have some importance not just on the plot, but also the family dynamic in a way that makes her part of them.
In regards to the causes and effects of Coyotes’s narrative, it’s established in a way that may feel in your face. The film takes its tagline, “Eat the rich,” verbatim through the hunt of its wild animal pack against these rich folk. While it does make you feel sympathetic for Scott and his family, their neighbors are essentially stereotypes of different rich people that just make you wonder when they’d die.
You don’t necessarily need to care as much as you need to for them because, in the end, they all focus on themselves. In fact, it’s why the main cause of this rampage isn’t what you’d expect: in one’s attempt to really care, it’s actually done more harm than good.
Visually, Coyotes is essentially treated like a comic book brought to screen quite literally. It’s got character introductions that feel ripped out of the Borderlands games, where everyone gets their own bright card. It also likes to use split shots continuously, which feel forced in the first act, but are reasonably placed given the circumstances of the climax. The camerawork simply likes to keep you hooked by playing with the dread and tension, particularly when its monstrous pack comes to play.
Depending on the lighting, it does feel like the CGI on the coyotes did need some more polish. Luckily, there are some practical effects, like the animal puppetry, that work to create that much needed horror.
Coyotes may be a savage creature feature disguised as a hilarious dark comedy with fun performances from Justin Long and company, but it relies heavily on its humor for its own good. Although, it still has an emotional core through its family dynamics to insert some sincerity into its arousing narrative. With all of this, Coyotes still holds much potential to be further refined for a more engaging horror watch.
Coyotes will release in theaters October 3.
Rating: ★★★
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.