California wildfires have been pushing coyotes deeper into Los Angeles neighborhoods. After a particualry bad storm knocks down a tree in their yard, a family—illustrator Scott (Justin Long), wife Liv (Kate Bosworth) and teenage daughter Chloe (Mila Harris)—find themselves trapped in their Hollywood Hills home without power or a vehicle to drive away. As a pack of wild coyotes start to surround them and their neighbors, the family finds themselves in a struggle for survival, with no help on the way. Also being hunted by the animals are playboy neighbor Trip (Norbert Leo Butz) and his hired prostitute date Julie (Brittany Allen), drunk neighbor/friend Tony (Kevin Glynn) and his annoyed wife Sheila (Norma Nivia), and off-beat exterminator Devon (Keir O’Donnell).

I didn’t get a chance to see Coyotes in the theater, so I was excited to receive the disc for review. I didn’t really know anything going into it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is both a tense and exciting horror/action film, but also has loads of humor mixed in. This is evident right from the start as we see w blonde dressed in a pink dress and heels out walking her small dog, taking selfies and telling her friend on the phone that “it’s exhausting being this hot”, when the coyotes appear. The filmmakers play a lot with the tone and audience expectations, often lulling the viewer into a sense of security with the comedic family adventure elements, only to suddenly switch tones to horror as this pack of coyotes attacks its victims. The film often subverts expectations, taking things in an unexpected direction, rather than following the typical path a movie like this would take. After the initial cold-open, the film is more of a slow burn, like a Jaws, where the audience is given glimpses of these coyotes, before the full nature of their gruesome attacks is fully revealed later on.

Each of the characters has their own fun quirks and eccentricities, but at the core is this family that the audience is defintely rooting for. These aren’t super-smart heroes, but everyday people tossed into this situation. They often do stupid things, like constantly go outside in the dark chasing after their runaway dog, Charlie, when they know there are coyotes in the area. But the viewer wants to see this family make it through this ordeal. This family knows that no one else is coming to save them, and must put together their own elaborate plan to rescue themselves. In this way, the movie feels a bit like a throwback/homage to horror/thrillers of the 1980s.

The cast is great, with Justin Long and Kate Bosworth adding a lot of humor and heart to the movie. They feel like a real family. Scott is a bit of a workaholic who doesn’t spend a lot of time with his wife and daughter, and so is a bit out of touch. But now he is thrust into this situation where he must step up and find a way to save them, while Liv is the one who’s really keeping the family running. Meanwhile, daughter Chloe is your typical teenager with a bit of an attitude, but the writers have done a nice job of preventing her from becoming just a one-dimensional caricature. The supporting cast members add a lot of comedy. These wacky neighbors and exterminator are often over-the-top, but the way they are played so seriously actually heightens the humor, especially as we see some of them folks become the targets of the hungry coyotes.

The film has a unique look an feel, with some creative camera angles, and cutaways to comic book style drawings of each character as they first appear. Tighter handheld shots are used to heighten the more tense attack sequences, and put the viewer in the middle of this thrilling action.

Decal Releasing has released Coyotes on Blu-ray, DVD, & Digital. We were sent the Blu-ray version for review. The visual presentation is excellent, with a clean, clear picture, both in the film’s brighter daytime sequences as well as the more intense, darker nighttime scenes. The level of detail is solid throughout, especially in close-ups of faces. The effects and gore also look natural and believable. I could not distinguish between the use of real and animatronic animals. The audio track provides clear dialogue and makes nice use of the stereo and surround channels to provide an immersive experience. The howls of the coyotes can regularly be heard in the background.

The Blu-ray release consists of a single disc packed in a standard HD keepcase. Our review copy did not include any slipcover. As with all Decal releases, no digital copy is included. However, the disc does contain an entertaining 19-minute making of featurette with the cast and crew.

What’s Included:

Film (1:31:29):

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
• Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:

• Meet The Pack: Behind The Scenes With The Makers (18:57)
  The cast and crew discuss the premise of the film and the real L.A. coyote problem, some of the filmmakers’ inspirations, working with the director, the casting of the movie, filming in Colombia, the animatronic coyotes, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director Colin Minihan, producer Jib Polhemus, screenwriter Ted Daggerhart, and stars Norbert Leo Butz (“Trip”), Justin Long (“Scott”), Kate Bosworth (“Liv”) & Mila Harris (“Chloe”).

Final Thoughts:

Coyotes is an entertaining when animals attack style thriller that finds the perfect blend between horror and humor. It’s just a really fun ride! The film features an excellent main cast as well as a humorous array of quirky side characters. Decal’s Blu-ray release looks and sounds great, and even includes some bonus material. Fans of the film will definitely want to pick this up, and those looking for a fun new horror/comedy should also check it out.