Creature Feature Hit “COYOTES” (2025) Gets Digital Release Date (Copy)

Courtesy of Aura Entertainment

There’s something unsettling howling just beyond the camp fire glow and on October 21st the thrilling suburban creature feature horror-comedy “Coyotes” (written by Tad Daggerhart, Daniel Meers and Nick Simon, as well as directed by Colin Minihan) is arriving on VOD for all to experience.

Synopsis:

”After a Santa Ana windstorm knocks out power in the Hollywood Hills and crushes the family SUV, the Stewarts — Scott, Liv, and their precocious daughter, Chloe — are stranded in their hillside home with no cell service, no escape route, and just enough Spam to start a riot. But the real problem? Coyotes. Not the scrappy, skittish kind that dig through your garbage and steal your cat, but smart, organized, murder-flavored coyotes. Led by a scar-faced alpha with serious beef, the pack starts picking off neighbors like it’s happy hour at an all-you-can-eat casino buffet. As wildfires rage on one side and a bloodthirsty canine death cult circles the other, the Stewarts — armed with nothing but a flashlight, an old iPad, and some questionable decision-making skills — must band together and transform from cozy suburbanites into blood-smeared survivalists. Coyotes is a savage, satirical survival thriller where nature bites back — and this time, it brought friends. Welcome to the apex of the food chain. It’s going badly.I first had the chance to watch Coyotes while covering Fantastic Fest remotely this year, and from the very first frame I was hooked. The film’s slow-burn tension, the way it uses the silence of the desert and the looming threat of what’s watching in the trees, give it a rare authenticity for genre cinema. In my review I described it as “a visceral and unnervingly grounded descent into primal fear—a film that doesn’t just show the wilderness fighting back, but reminds us that humanity was never really in control to begin with.”

I was lucky to recently have Tad Daggerhart and Nick Simon on my podcast I Love Horror, where they dug into the making of this film and their deep love of horror. As the episode’s description puts it:

“We chat about how the story for “Coyotes” came about, their time screening it at Fantastic Fest … their favorite horror movies and much more.” Nick talked about being mentored by legendary horror filmmaker Wes Craven (yes, really) and how that shaped his approach. Meanwhile Tad gave a nod to the classic body-horror of “The Fly” as one of his guiding lights. They explained that for them the desert setting isn’t simply a backdrop—it becomes a character in itself, full of oppressive stillness, lurking danger and the constant question of whether the threat is human, animal, or something else entirely.

The pair made it clear that they wanted characters who feel real—not perfect survivors but people who make mistakes, panic, turn on each other, and ultimately face the terrifying realization that nature (or whatever is out there) doesn’t obey our rules. One of Tad’s especially compelling lines: “Isolation doesn’t need walls—it just needs silence and the sense that something is watching.” This kind of human-grounded fear is what makes “Coyotes” stand out.

Beyond the writing, the performances elevate the material: there’s fatigue in the eyes of the characters, distrust in their exchanges, and the kind of slow unraveling of hope that you don’t always find in horror. And by the time the film’s finale arrives, the desert doesn’t just feel like a location—it feels like the last refuge and the worst trap.

For fans of survival horror, of psychological tension, or for anyone who appreciates when a genre film refuses to spoon-feed its threats, Coyotes delivers. With the VOD release coming October 21st, this is your chance to catch up with one of the strongest horror-entries of the year. Tad Daggerhart and Nick Simon have crafted something raw, unforgettable, and delightfully unnerving. Turn off the lights, let the volume rise—and when those howls begin, you’ll know exactly what you’re in for.

Whether it’s slashers in the woods, ghosts in the attic, or killers in the cornfield, ILHM Reviews brings you the frightful horror flick recommendations worth watching. Follow us on Instagram, be sure to listen to the the "I Love Horror" podcast and remember that if you’re a true fan of horror, every night can be a FRIGHT NIGHT!