🐺Coyotes (2025) — Review: When the Hunters Become the Hunted 🌙

A darkly funny and blood-soaked satire where survival meets social media in the Hollywood Hills.

⭐ Final Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

📅 Release Date: October 3, 2025

🎥 Runtime: 92 minutes

🌍 Directed by: Colin Minihan

🎬 Streaming & Distribution: Aura Entertainment (Theatrical Release)

The hills are alive… with the sound of snarls. 🐾 Coyotes, the latest horror-comedy thriller from Colin Minihan, stalks into theaters with a wild mix of suspense, satire, and savage humor. Starring Justin Long and Kate Bosworth, this 2025 horror flick takes a seemingly absurd premise — a family trapped in their luxurious Hollywood home by a pack of murderous coyotes — and spins it into a biting commentary on fear, privilege, and the predators lurking both inside and outside our homes.

🌕 “You hear that? They’re not just howling… they’re hunting.”

The story begins with Scott (Justin Long) and Liv (Kate Bosworth), a Hollywood couple living the high life with their teenage daughter Chloe (Mila Harris). Their peaceful night of dinner, wine, and influencer gossip turns feral when a pack of hyper-aggressive coyotes begins circling their hilltop mansion.

At first, it seems like an odd animal attack — until the coyotes start coordinating, strategizing, and cutting off every escape route. What follows is part home-invasion thriller, part social satire, and part creature feature, as the family must turn their perfect house into a fortress before they become dinner.

As Scott shouts, shotgun in hand:

“They’ve got instincts. We’ve got Wi-Fi. Let’s see which one’s stronger.”

🎭 Performance Highlights

• Justin Long delivers his signature blend of awkward humor and manic terror, transforming from a smug husband to a desperate survivor.

• Kate Bosworth plays Liv with sharp intensity — both vulnerable and fierce, grounding the chaos with emotional weight.

• Mila Harris shines as the teenage daughter caught between fear and defiance, while Katherine McNamara adds bite as a fame-hungry influencer who refuses to stop livestreaming — even when the blood starts spilling.

• Norbert Leo Butz and Keir O'Donnell bring grim humor as eccentric neighbors caught in the madness.

The chemistry between Long and Bosworth (a real-life couple) gives the film unexpected warmth amid the carnage. Their shared panic feels personal, and their survival instincts mirror something deeper — the fight to hold their family together when everything turns primal.

🩸 Direction, Style & Tone

Director Colin Minihan (known for What Keeps You Alive) crafts Coyotes as a sleek, 90-minute descent into mayhem. The film balances jump scares with clever humor, turning the Hollywood Hills — usually a symbol of status — into a nightmarish cage.

The coyote attacks are tense, though the visual effects occasionally falter. The beasts don’t always blend seamlessly with their surroundings, which some critics dubbed “fake-otes.” But even when the CGI stumbles, Minihan’s tension-building never does. Every howl in the distance feels like a countdown to chaos.

Brittany Allen’s score (yes, she stars and composed it) amplifies the unease with eerie synths and distorted animal calls — the perfect soundtrack for a night gone rabid.

🎞️ Critical Reception

So far, Coyotes has earned mixed-to-positive reviews, sitting at around 66% approval from critics. Many praised its humor, pacing, and ensemble cast, while others felt it didn’t dig deep enough into its wild premise.

Some called it a “missed opportunity with bite” — coherent and fun, but lacking the thematic sharpness it hints at. Still, everyone agrees that Minihan delivers on the gore and the tension.

Audiences, on the other hand, seem to love it. It’s the kind of horror film that’s perfect for a Friday night watch — quick, crazy, and self-aware.

🐾 Verdict: Bloody, Bold, and a Little Bit Bonkers

Coyotes isn’t a flawless beast, but it’s an entertaining one. With its mix of satire, survival horror, and family drama, it stands out in a year full of jump scares. Justin Long and Kate Bosworth give it heart, while Minihan gives it fangs.

It’s not just about a family under siege — it’s about what happens when the predators realize they’re not at the top of the food chain anymore.

As Liv whispers near the end:

“The coyotes didn’t come for food. They came for us.” 🩸