Critic’s Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
3.5
You’d think after Barbarian, Justin Long might swear off horror.
Nope. And for a viewer like me, that’s a very good thing. Not sorry!
Because he’s back in Coyotes, and once again he’s the kind of guy you don’t mind being trapped with during a crisis — funny, relatable, and just self-deprecating enough that you believe every bad choice he makes.
This one’s set in the Hollywood Hills during a Santa Ana windstorm, which knocks out power, flattens the family SUV, and leaves Scott (Long), Liv (Kate Bosworth), and their daughter Chloe (Mila Harris) stuck at home.
They have no cell service and no escape route. Just one family, one house, a pack of very pissed-off coyotes and a strange neighbor and his “lady of the night” guest (and a wicked one-liner to explain that to the kids).
If that sounds ridiculous, that’s the point.
Director Colin Minihan (Grave Encounters, What Keeps You Alive) leans into the chaos. These aren’t the skittish, trash-diving coyotes we know — they’re organized, aggressive, and disturbingly smart.
Think Cujo meets Gremlins, with a streak of satire about the fragility of suburban comfort.
Most of the movie unfolds between two homes and a few exterior scenes, keeping it tight, contained, and purposefully scrappy.
It’s not aiming for prestige horror; it’s here to entertain. Minihan has said he wanted to “course correct” away from self-serious horror, and Coyotes delivers — fast, funny, and unapologetically feral.
Long thrives in this kind of chaos. His Scott gets the best lines, including a gem that had me laughing out loud:
“Remember killer bees? I was afraid of all bees. Did you ever know anyone who died because of a bee? Well, who wasn’t allergic?”
That’s classic Justin Long — humor that feels offhand but genuine, the everyman caught between fear and absurdity. And it speaks directly to the experience of GenX kids everywhere, believe me!
Bosworth balances him perfectly, playing Liv with equal parts practicality and panic, while Brittany Allen (who also composed the pulsing, atmospheric score) adds another layer of tension and unexpected tenderness.
The third act goes wild — literally — with fire, chaos, and a surprising emotional turn that reframes everything we’ve seen.
It’s funny, fierce, and weirdly heartfelt, ending not with despair but with a sense of balance restored. You don’t expect to walk away from a coyote horror-comedy feeling oddly uplifted, but here we are.
The CGI coyotes are another story — not perfect, but effective enough to sell the threat. There’s something uncanny about how they move, which actually adds to the unease.
But if you wonder whether coyotes of any type can sell the pandemonium they bring, anyone who’s ever heard coyotes howling in the distance or caught their glowing eyes in a flashlight beam will recognize that primal jolt of fear.
At its core, Coyotes is a creature feature with conscience.
It’s bloody in bursts, but never mean-spirited, and beneath the absurdity is a nudge about coexistence — about how nature eventually pushes back when we stop paying attention.
Minihan keeps the pace brisk (just 91 minutes) and the tone sharp. It’s the kind of late-night watch that reminds you horror can still be fun — a little bite, a little heart, and enough mayhem to make you grin through the madness.
If you loved Death of a Unicorn or just crave something with teeth that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Coyotes is a safe bet. It’s a horror-comedy that howls, bites, and somehow still leaves you smiling.
Coyotes is now available to rent or buy today on digital and on demand.
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