‘Coyotes’ Movie Review [Fantastic Fest 2025]: Justin Long Battles Bloodthirsty Coyotes in a Toothless B-Movie

Photo from Fantastic Fest

From Jeff Nelson

Despite a fun early-2000s concept, Coyotes doesn’t push itself far enough. It lacks scares, thrills, laughs, and bloodshed, even though Colin Minihan’s whimsical direction fights to instill a sense of personality. A playful vibe isn’t enough to follow through on this promising idea that hints at far more camp than we get.

Expansive urban development and raging wildfires drive nature’s creatures closer to humans, creating new dangers with animals that typically avoid people at all costs. Set in the Hollywood Hills, hard-working family man Scott (Justin Long) calls pest control to handle a rodent problem. He’s forced to confront a bloodthirsty pack of wild coyotes to protect his wife, Liv (Kate Bosworth), his daughter, Chloe (Mila Harris), and his family dog, Charlie. 

The community is cut off from the outside world after intense winds destroy the electrical lines, while local emergency services are swamped with disasters across the city. Scott’s best friend, Tony (Kevin Glynn), and his miserable wife, Sheila (Norma Nivia), along with erratic neighbor, Trip (Norbert Leo Butz), and his hired sex worker, Julie (Brittany Allen), fill out this cast of characters. Rather than making the neighborhood band together against the coyotes, the majority of them are unceremoniously killed without a shred of tension-building. Every scene is merely waiting to see who the next target will be for the creatures to dig their teeth into.

Screenwriters Tad Daggerhart and Nick Simon’s story is a revenge movie of sorts, where nature is determined to claim its territory back from human society’s senseless destruction. The coyotes take down characters in true slasher style with the occasional bloody kill, but the animalistic set pieces get repetitive. Minihan’s goriest moment is merely shown in the aftermath. Scott is squeamish about even a drop of blood, making for a couple of amusing situations.

Family drama runs underneath the coyote-based premise, where an overworked Scott struggles with his work-life balance. He’s determined to maintain a certain standard of living for Liv and Chloe and keep them out of their rundown Koreatown apartment. Despite having a moody teenager, the parents are desperate to shelter their daughter from the world’s cruelty. Long’s familiar schtick lends to the style, but he isn’t given enough to work with.

Coyotes is as literal as eat-the-rich films can get, transforming the mangy creatures of Los Angeles into beefy, overpowering killers. The alluring B-movie premise doesn’t lean far enough into its absurd horror-comedy roots, ultimately cornering itself into a silly third-act climax that ends with a whimper. Stakes don’t amount to any tension, leaving only a batch of underwhelming kills in their wake. 

Rating: 2/5

Coyotes played at Fantastic Fest 2025 on September 20 before it hits theaters on October 3.

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