Coyotes (2025)
Directed by: Colin Minihan
Premise: In the midst of California wildfires, a pack of coyotes attack the residents of the Hollywood Hills. A family must escape the fires and the predators.
What Works: Coyotes is a silly movie and the filmmakers are aware of that. The opening scene in which an absent-minded influencer is attacked suggests satire. The film has a scathing regard for Hollywood culture and Coyotes includes some wacky supporting characters. The standout performances include Keir O’Donnell as an exterminator, Brittany Allen as a prostitute, and Norbert Leo Butz as a drug addicted neighbor. If Coyotes had focused on these kooky characters and flung them together it might have been a better movie.
What Doesn’t: Rather than focusing on the unique characters, Coyotes is centered on a mundane nuclear family played by Justin Long, Kate Bosworth, and Mila Harris. Their normality is supposed to make them relatable but the characters are vanilla and uninteresting. There is a rift in the marriage and the coyote attack is supposed to bring them together but the family reconciliation is not convincing. Everyone in Coyotes feels isolated. The supporting characters rarely interact with each other or with the family. Several characters die as soon as they are introduced. The pacing of Coyotes is start and stop. There are a few exciting moments but the movie suffers from long dull stretches in between. The filmmakers can’t keep up the tension. The visual effects of Coyotes are inconsistent. The canines are digital creatures and they often look cartoonish. The filmmakers insert odd comic-book-style freeze frames whenever a new character is introduced. The technique is obnoxious. We eventually get an explanation for the coyote attack but it isn’t set up appropriately and makes very little sense.
Bottom Line: Coyotes has a fun idea but it’s executed poorly. The story is badly structured, the most interesting characters are squandered, and the suspense is lacking.
Episode: #1070 (October 26, 2025)