Animal attack films reached their peak in the 70s and 80s, both in quality and quantity, before an overdue call for the animals' on-set welfare led to the films' decline.
The rise of CG has seen the sub-genre return with a vengeance, but the results are typically less than memorable. While some buck that trend and commit to using mostly practical effects -- Beast of War and Primate being two recent examples -- most are still searching for thrills in the form of shiny ones and zeroes. So, let's talk about the new animal attack flick Coyotes, shall we?
Los Angeles wasn't always the bustling, pavement-heavy metropolis it is today, but some signs of its old life remain, with one of the most prevalent being the coyotes. Forced into the hills by a growing city, the four-legged carnivores come back down at night (or even during the day if they're feeling extra spicy) in search of food. It's typically small pets that land on the menu, but once in a very rare while a coyote with eyes bigger than its stomach will try to snag a small child. Now, though, as strong winds and a growing wildfire threaten the landscape, the coyotes are aiming even higher on the food chain.
Colin Minihan's Coyotes pits a family in the Hollywood hills against some smart, strong, and clearly hungry animals, but it struggles to make any of it feel thrilling or suspenseful. It's mostly an issue of tone and visual effects, but thankfully there's one element that stands tall against the threat of a dull animal attack film -- an increasingly rattled Justin Long.
Long plays Scott, a successful (apparently, given the nice freaking house in the hills) comic book artist aspiring to tell his own stories. He's been far too focused on his work lately, leaving both his wife Liv (Long's real-life spouse Kate Bosworth) and daughter Chloe (Mila Harris) feeling somewhat abandoned. His chance at redemption arrives as nature closes in with wind, fire, and teeth, and Long does good work making this putz likeable and relatable despite his shortcomings. Even better, he makes Scott a source of entertainment.
He's long been reliable in comedies, but smart filmmakers began putting Long to work in their genre fare with terrific results, including Barbarian, Drag Me to Hell, and Live Free or Die Hard. He's even great in movies that don't quite deserve him, like Tusk and House of Darkness, and that's unfortunately where Coyotes lands.
The immediate issue is with the CG coyotes themselves. They look mostly fine in place, but there's a suspicious lean towards an A.I.-like sheen that kills anything resembling realism as soon as they move.
To be clear, this isn't a rant specifically against A.I. "art" -- although let's be honest, filmmakers aren't benefiting anyone by using it -- but the problem here is the coyotes just don't look like real coyotes. There's an unnatural look and feel in motion which distances them from the situation and in turn wholly neuters what should be threatening situations. They're not Sharknado bad, but it rarely suggests there's actually a physical creature in the scene.
The film's other big issue is with its tone. Horror/comedies are tough to get right, which is why most tend to neglect balance in favor of upping the laughs at the expense of the horror -- and there's nothing wrong with that! Of course, that requires your movie be pretty damn funny, and Coyotes can't quite manage that, even with Long's assist. It tries, though, boy does it try, and it just falls flat too often. Worse, seeing parents still going for laughs while their daughter is being attacked by a coyote is something of a dealbreaker.
Coyotes is an indie genre film and a labor of love for those involved, and it's ultimately far from a bad time, even with its issues. Long is good fun, and there's a warmth that comes from seeing his and Bosworth's chemistry on the screen. (I'm a romantic, and I won't apologize for it.) The script teases some commentary on class and vapid personalities, but its main themes tend to sit around the idea of prioritizing family over all else.
Again, they're fairly surface-level, but hey, so are the CG coyotes.