Coyotes Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Coyotes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 24, 2025

“Coyotes” is an animal attack picture from director Colin Minihan, who offered impressive genre work in his last two features, “What Keeps You Alive” and “It Stains the Sands Red.” He returns to horror in his latest, with screenwriters Nick Simon and Ted Daggerhart creating a nightmare situation for Los Angeles residents, pitting a collection of characters against the arrival of vicious coyotes who are no longer fearful of humans, determined to rule the neighborhood. It’s not an especially fresh idea (the script even offers a shout-out to Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”), and its a surprisingly muted take on terror from the production, which tries to be funny and serious while generally neglecting to create a fear factor from the premise. Technical and performance issues also manage to weaken the viewing experience, which only has a few select moments of tension while the rest of the offering seems generally confused about tone and pacing.

Scott (Justin Long) is a workaholic, losing interest in his family while wife Liv (Kate Bosworth) and daughter Chloe (Mila Harris) carry on in their Los Angeles home. Fearing the house has a rat problem, Scott contacts exterminator Devon (Kier O’Donnell), who makes it clear there are plenty of problems in the surrounding area, which is about to be hit by a major wind storm. A weather emergency knocks out the power in the area, also causing property damage, putting Scott to work cleaning up messes. However, a greater threat has emerged from the woods, as a pack of angry coyotes have arrived, eager to kill any human daring to stand in their way. As the creatures attack, Scott tries to maintain control, making contact with neighbor Trip (Norbert Leo Butz) and his favorite prostitute, Julie (Brittany Allen), also attempting to fortify his house, preventing the coyotes from finding their way in as he reflects on the mistakes he’s made in his relationships.

“Coyotes” provides a sample of the neighborhood nightmare to come during a prologue featuring Kat (Katherine McNamara). She’s a self-absorbed influencer out walking her tiny dog late one night, paying more attention to her phone than her surroundings. Things don’t end well for Kat, who’s the first to be taken by the coyotes, and the story soon switches over to Scott and his family, who believe they have an issue with rats in the walls, hearing noises at night. Devon is the wacky exterminator of the feature, likely patterned off John Goodman’s take on the profession in 1990’s “Arachnophobia,” and he introduces a comic book-style tone to the offering, which Minihan backs up with artful character introductions and a few colorful transitions. The helmer creates a heightened world for “Coyotes,” especially with Devon’s broadness, but he’s also working to maintain a dramatic arc for the effort, tracking growing resentment in the household as Scott pulls away from his wife and child, creating a cold domestic experience.

A terrible storm creates a lot of trouble for Scott, and “Coyotes” starts to generate a neighborhood presence for supporting characters, such as Trip, a coke fiend spending time with Julie, his paid date. And there’s only a brief moment with Tony (Kevin Glynn), an Irishman who’s in and out of the feature quickly, serving only one function for the screenwriters. The ferocious animals start to make their presence known at the halfway point of the picture, and “Coyotes” runs into a lot of trouble when trying to visualize the furry, growling threat. CGI efforts to create the coyotes looks very strange, with an A.I.-like appearance that make the beasts look like they were taken out of a bad social media video. Granted, there’s not much Minihan can do with an untrainable enemy, but the illusion of danger is never successfully sold in the movie.

Coyotes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The image presentation (2.39:1 aspect ratio) for "Coyotes" provides a textured look at the characters. Skin particulars are appreciable throughout the viewing experience, examining differences in age and, eventually, some wear and tear as the night of terror carries on. Costuming is fibrous, and smoother animal appearances are preserved. The central household location maintains decent distances around the neighborhood. Interiors are open for inspection, preserving most decorative additions. Delineation has heavier moments, periodically losing a little to solidification. Color is sharp, with makeup and clothing distinct, including a hot pink dress on the first victim in the film. Greenery is strong, and cooler hues are secured around the living space. Skin tones are natural. Compression issues are intermittent, with banding detected.

Coyotes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix supplies a crisp understanding of dialogue exchanges, picking up on performance styles and escalations of panic as horror elements start to appear in the feature. Scoring delivers clear dramatic support, with sharp instrumentation. Some musical moods play into the surrounds, which also remain active with atmospherics around weather events and neighborhood happenings. Some separation activity is found during house tours, picking up on character position and strange sounds. Low-end is decent, perking up with explosive additions and hard hits of violence.

Coyotes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Meet the Pack: Behind the Scenes with the Makers" (18:57, HD) explores the creation of "Coyotes," featuring interviews with director Colin Minihan, producer Jib Polhemus, screenwriter Ted Daggerhart, and actors Norbert Leo Butz, Justin Long, Mila Harris, and Kate Bosworth. The interviewees share their experiences with coyotes in California, inspiring the horror of the picture. Minihan is celebrated, pointing out his technical expertise and "ear for truth" while putting together a feature inspired by several movies, with the name "Spielberg" tossed around quite a bit. Casting is also celebrated, pointing out thespian skills and camaraderie, and characterization is highlighted, exploring the wild differences in personality that help to boost the film's sense of humor. The feature was shot in Columbia, matching well with the Los Angeles setting. There's only a brief mention of the visual effects, so those seeking some explanation for coyote creations are going to be disappointed. Some BTS footage is included to help understand the mood of the set and the technical elements in play during production, but most of the featurette is loaded with clips from "Coyotes," severely throttling the information journey.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

Coyotes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Coyotes" also runs into issues with Scott's family problems, which come off quite formulaic, watching the film scramble on a few occasions to make sure viewers care about the characters and their banal problems. It's a movie about killer coyotes terrorizing an L.A. community, leaving it wide open to scenes of stalking and attacking, pitting the locals against an enemy they don't fully understand. However, the endeavor makes a full stop at times to address broken hearts, which doesn't add anything to an offering that shows signs of life with escape sequences, Scott's blood phobia, and the construction of a rolling cage to help facilitate close contact with the beasts. "Coyotes" should be a lot more fun than it actually is, and Minihan seems awfully confused about the tone of the feature, frequently caught between focus on angry animals and the sobering realities of broken relationships.