COYOTES

“Coyotes” centers on a family trapped in their Hollywood Hills home during a catastrophic wildfire that ravages their neighborhood, cutting off roads, electricity, and any chance of escape. As the flames draw closer, the family’s already strained dynamics—marked by personal tensions and emotional undercurrents—begin to surface, setting the stage for an intimate domestic drama.

However, the real terror emerges when a pack of feral, fire-crazed coyotes, driven to madness by the surrounding inferno, begins stalking the house. These animals, disoriented and aggressive, launch a relentless and brutal home-invasion-style attack, transforming the family’s refuge into a deadly trap.

What begins as a slow-burn exploration of familial conflict spirals into a high-stakes survival thriller, forcing the characters to confront both the external threat of the coyotes and their own internal fractures. The film’s atmosphere is described as claustrophobic yet laced with dark humor, delivering a mix of bloody action, psychological tension, and biting social satire aimed at Hollywood’s elite culture.

The narrative leans heavily into eco-horror, using the wildfire and the coyotes’ erratic behavior to underscore themes of nature’s unpredictability and humanity’s vulnerability when pushed to the brink.

Minihan’s direction reportedly balances visceral, gory set pieces with moments of levity, drawing on the real-life chemistry between Long and Bosworth to ground the family’s emotional core. The screenplay’s satirical edge pokes fun at the self-absorbed tendencies of affluent urbanites, while the horror elements amplify the primal fear of being hunted in one’s own home.

Critics who’ve previewed early festival buzz suggest that “Coyotes” stands out for its ability to weave these tonal shifts seamlessly, creating an unsettling yet entertaining experience that tests the characters’ resilience and courage under pressure.