Coyote (2014)

Thanks for the memories!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Best movie ever!

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

I absolutely love this movie. I haven't seen artistry like this in years. Trevor Juenger proves that he is a masterful auteur in the vein of David Lynch or Jean Cocteau. I felt that the film had touches of Cormac McCarthy and Franz Kafka. Coyote plays like stream-of- consciousness writing. It is similar in structure to Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. It explores the many layers of the mind of a man who is disconnecting with reality and society and the violence that results. It is a poetic and psychologically honest look at chilling subjects such as isolation, self-hatred, and mass-murder. Bill Oberst Jr. stars and is the heart and soul of the film. I can't imagine anyone else in this role. This film was painful for me to watch and yet I loved it.

Art house horror, it's a term you read more and more these days on sites like our, but just what is it? In searching for a "true" definition, in hope of helping explain the term to those who aren't yet familiar with this sub genre of films, I found that its as hard to "define" as it is to explain. Everyone seems to have their own explanation of what the term means. So instead lets break the term down to the two basics, to get a better idea of what people are talking about. First, Art House Film, as defined on wikipedia: "intended to be a serious artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal"; they are "made primarily for aesthetic reasons rather than commercial profit" and they contain "unconventional or highly symbolic content". Second, of course is horror, and I think we are all pretty well in the know on that one! In putting the two pieces together you basically have what is an experimental film, meant to make you think, questioning the human experience and world around you, infected with the horrific. An often very visceral, graphic film that continues to live in your mind well after you watch it, as you try to disseminate what you saw and the implications it presents. Its more than a film it is an experience! If you are still unsure then you need to look no further the this film Coyote (which will soon be released by Wild Eye Releasing), it is a spectacular example of what Art-house Horror is meant to be! I decided to let this one speak for itself so heres the synopsis straight from Coyote's FaceBook page, "The film stars Bill Oberst Jr. as Bill, an insomniac writer whose sleep-deprived hallucinations distort reality as paranoia drives him to extreme violence." The film follows Bill through his days (and more importantly, nights) as he descends into madness. We are left to determine what part of his "reality" is madness induced hallucinations, and what is "real", with moments of violence that will make your jaw hang open, and your body quiver. Coyote is quite outstanding in many ways, the film is shot beautifully with an interesting use of color transitions to illuminate the path of Bills mental breakdown. I found that to be both smart and often visually stunning decision by director Trevor Juenger. Another thing I found very compelling in the film, is the underlying sadness I felt from the character Bill, it helped drive the film for me, investing me in his journey on a much deeper level. I have to give a nod to Oberst Jr for that one, I cant imagine any one else bringing forth the same combination of vulnerability and madness that make Bill murderously maniacal yet still leave you empathizing with the struggle that makes him so "bad", and I chose bad rather than evil here for a reason. Evil is a choice that one makes in my eyes, where as "bad" (in the context of the film) is more of a result of the break from reality that is suffered by Bill as a result of his mental frailties. Then you have the violence, oh the beautiful, crazy, head pounding violence! Juenger and Oberst Jr make perfect pair in this film, adding many levels to the experience, making for a film that satiates the viewer like a great meal for the mind! If you have never watched an art-house horror film I HIGHLY recommend that you give this one the honor of being the first! It will leave you searching the realms for more. I have no doubt people will be talking about Coyote for a long time to come. It has already earned numerous awards on the festival circuit, and has garnered just as much attention for being banned in some areas as for the awards. Lets be honest though, that isn't going to hurt this title at all, in fact it is probably one of the things that has helped it gain distribution. Horror fans can be a bit like kids in the fact that when you tell us we can't have something we are just going to want it that much more! That being said when you watch the film there are some "OHHHHHHH" moments when you know instantly that you just watched a scene that was deemed too much for public viewing, Thankfully Wild Eye Releasing obviously believes that art is meant to be seen and as mentioned will be releasing the film in the near future at which point you can determine for yourself if it is too much, or just enough! I found it to be just enough myself! The film left me feeling disoriented, and slightly skewed emotionally (or to put it plainly crazy). It pulls you into the world of Bills mental illness and gives you a taste of what some people truly suffer on a day to day basis. It is a beautiful, dark film that deserves the accolades it's getting.Coyote is a film that will live on in you long after you finish watching it, and may just give you a new found appreciation for this burgeoning movement called "Arthouse Horror". HeatherOmen TheHorrorNation.net

One of the highest compliments I can pay to a film and one of my necessary criteria for a film to stand the test of time is this: did I still think about the film long after it was over? Trevor Juenger's "Coyote" is a film that I was thinking about at least 4 days after I finished watching it.Having seen some of Trevor's previous works, ("Live or Die" and "Johnny Be Gone,") I knew what to expect coming into "Coyote." These are not cuddly, warm, family fare. These are intense, psychological films that treat film like an art form rather than brain-dead popcorn entertainment. As a previous reviewer mentioned, think Cronenberg. Think Lynch. The tone is dark, experimental, avant garde, and at times even darkly humorous. I hate describing a film in what sounds like "ad speak" or flowery language, but it really is hard to describe "Coyote" without giving away too much of the guts of the film. To spare you from any spoilers, the 2 line synopsis on this page does plenty: it is a film about a writer who is hopelessly detached from reality and quickly losing control. Anything further than that might ruin the impact of the movie.Which brings me to the absolute highlight of the film: Bill Oberst Jr's portrayal of the character Bill. Oberst plays "unhinged" so well that I genuinely felt uncomfortable many times throughout this film. How he interacts with other performers and the escalation of his unraveling character is off-putting in all of the best ways. Seeing as most of the film rests on his shoulders, it really is a make-or-break performance. For me: his performance is the highlight of the film.This movie is a journey through the darkest depths of madness and I believe it will stick with the viewer long after they finish the film. I highly recommend it for the anyone not squeamish, easily offended, and who thoroughly enjoys avant garde cinema. Keep your eyes on Trevor Juenger, his films are going to be talked about for a long while.

Coyote is a film by local St. Louis-area filmmaker, Trevor Juenger. I went into the screening with great interest, because not only was it filmed locally in the St. Louis area, but it also just so happens to be one of my favorite styles of horror.   Coyote stars Bill Oberst Jr. as Bill, an insomniac that progresses into the deep end of delusion and insanity. Oberst's performance is spot-on perfect as he convincingly transforms himself into the character, slipping into the point of no return. Coyote is a fierce and relentless piece of art. The film does have some very welcome styled scenes that are reminiscent of classic Lynch and Cronenberg. The music score (by Michel Schiralli) is very dark and fitting for this style and well placed into the film. Speaking of audio, however, the score and sound effects seemed to sound much more developed and mastered than the dialogue audio, although that was not poor either. That, as well as some interestingly placed video editing effects does give Coyote somewhat of a film- student-project kind of feel to it, which may sound unfortunate, but I will say that Trevor and his team made it work. I do have ONE issue with Coyote however, and before anyone decides to retaliate my following statement, know that this is just a personal opinion - and that is I very much dislike the use or overuse of Fish-Eye, which is frequently used in this 75 minute feature. That being said, it does work in some scenes very well and I couldn't imagine them being shot in any other way. I am simply not a fan of Fish Eye in general. On a better note, however, the props and special effects are insane and were pulled off way better than I had expected, done in an original, yet familiar to classic Cronenberg style, which I appreciated seeing from a small local piece of art like Coyote.   Bottom Line: While Coyote does have it's flaws, I believe it is a very welcome addition to the horror genre. It may only be 74 minutes long, but it will keep you thinking. I am very excited to see what Trevor Juenger has up his sleeves next.