Mila Harris Talks Coyotes & Prepping With Justin Long & Kate Bosworth (Fantastic Fest 2025)
It’s always fun to get a creature feature up and going and this year’s Fantastic Fest had much to offer in that regard. Although, for one film, Coyotes, it takes its suspense and thrills to high comedic levels with its diverse cast of West Coast faces. The horror-thriller follows a rich family in a Californian suburbia as they’re forced to survive a wild pack of coyotes, through thick and thin. Given the concept, it might look like an ordinary survival story, but in reality, it’s got some crazy hijinks to make it stand out.
I spoke with star Mila Harris, who plays the family’s young daughter, Chloe. From her exposure to the world of improvisation with stars Justin Long and Kate Bosworth to spending time with the on-set animals to reflecting on 2022’s No Exit, Harris shared an in-depth look into Coyotes.
Recently, Coyotes had its premiere at Fantastic Fest which was Harris’s first time ever being at the festival. “I was kind of going into it and I didn’t really know what to expect, but it exceeded my expectations,” Harris recalled.
“There were all these miniature things happening and then the red carpet was amazing,” Harris described. “I got to answer lots of questions and see it up on the big screen, the final cut with all the VFX and everything. It was a really cool experience!”
In Coyotes, Chloe plays a very unique role in the overarching family dynamic throughout the film’s story. Going into detail regarding how the character stood out to her, Harris was very excited about the role. “Right as I read the script, I was like, ‘Yeah, I want to take this,’” Harris said. “I kind of understood it as a challenge because Chloe kind of has this underneath layer that no one talks about where she is vulnerable and more vulnerable than you think. I saw it as a challenge and that excited me.”
Given how Chloe’s the daughter of the family, Harris collaborated alongside Long and Bosworth to create that chemistry. Harris spoke on what that experience was like for her as well as what was the most important thing she learned from them. “I would say, for sure, one of the biggest skills that I learned from this movie is how to improv so much,” Harris explained. “Justin and Kate and everybody bounce their ideas off of each other.”
“A lot of the movie is actually just made up, like right there and how we felt and so I think that was kind of interesting for me. That’s kind of what I’ll take on to my next movie: how to just keep rolling with the flow. That’s when you get the best content.”
In addition, with Coyotes dealing with animals as its antagonistic force, Harris recalled what it was like working with the animals on set. “I love all animals, like every single one except spiders, but I actually have a dog,” Harris said. “When she maybe wanders out, I kind of feel that maternal-ish sense, I guess, if you could call it that, where it’s like, I need to go save my pup!” “It was fun to work with the set dog and his name is Metchie,” Harris explained. “He didn’t always listen, but he was the best to be around!”
Coyotes also presents some pretty bloody and intense moments of action, which also includes Chloe. Harris remembered what moment stuck out with her and what filming that was like as well.
“It honestly felt really real,” Harris recalled. “It was really Kate there going, ‘Oh my gosh, are you okay?’ And it was really me there going, ‘Help, there’s this giant thing!’”
“It really was realistic, where Justin passes out because of the blood, that’s something that really would happen. It made it all more realistic to me and I think that makes it scarier for the audience because it was so realistic.”
Furthermore, as Chloe is a leading character in this film, Harris described what the transition was like for her going from playing a minor role in another thriller, No Exit, to Coyotes. “It was definitely scary,” Harris said. “I will say [with] No Exit, I, it was kind of my first time being away, like I went to New Zealand for four months. So in a way, it kind of did feel like I was getting introduced to being a lead character.”
“It was definitely a small step. I would say I was definitely more nervous to play opposite Justin and Kate. But once I met them, I knew that this was just gonna click and it was gonna be great.”
Harris also compared the different filming experiences regarding the more harrowing and emotional sequences of both movies. “I really do what I think my genuine reaction would be like, I try not to rehearse those types of things. That kind of what makes it stick with me after is, that’s really what I would do.”
“That’s kind of scary to think about, but those really do stick with me after but it’s totally good because after all these scary and crazy scenes, we filmed over puppies or we won’t stop laughing and it’s a really good environment.”
Watch the full conversation with Mila Harris below.
Coyotes releases in theaters on October 3.
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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.