Coyote Lake

This simple and short film (only around 90mins) is very underappreciated I feel going by the general reviews and ratings I've seen.

What we have here is a standoff situation where everything has become blurred. A mother & daughter based in the US side of the Mexico/US border are taken hostage in their isolated, but everything becomes a conundrum.

The reality is that the storyline is a moral maze between who actually is the evil one, but it's not overly taxing. From the start it shows a dark side to the mother & daughter in their cabin home, whilst the hostage takers who arrive aren't exactly the tough guys they need to be.

It's quite dark, but not overly so. It keeps it simple, and doesn't need to ratchet things up. It's a tense movie, and you follow in particular the situation with the daughter as her standoff is really as much with her mother as it is with the kidnappers. She's locked into an insular world and wants more.

I thought for a simple, low budget movie, this was very well executed, and deserves credit. Feels like a theatre play transferred onto screen. The acting is wonderful and fine by all, and you will never feel bored.

Admittedly, it's one that has key moments that are sign-posted but doesn't take the easy way out. Predictable in that sense, but it's more the sum of its parts. I thought it was a really good viewing.

Deserves more respect & attention than it has been given so far in my opinion.

Well you better beware who is making the coffee when you're at the US - Mexico border.

So here we get a little tale of a mother daughter team working a bed and breakfast on the border. They seem to prey on unsuspecting guests, but of course a good looking young guy shows up and daughter gets interested in him and it throws the whole game off. So what we have is the what happens next when you throw love and hormones into what was a good thing! I didn't think it was that bad. But it wasn't that great either. 5/10.

Simple story, clean and easy execution. Nothing extraordinary. But there is something that says let me give it the benefit of the doubt.

Reviewers seem to either love or hate this film. I gravitate toward the former camp. Seligman did a good job in my opinion of maintaining a suspenseful atmosphere. I thought the three leads played well together, particularly the mother and daughter. Camila Mendes should have a bright future ahead of her. The palm definitely goes to Adriana Barraza for playing one of the most hardboiled customers in film, right up there with performances by legends like Richard Boone and Lee Van Cleef. The fact that this was done by a middle aged woman makes it even more noteworthy. On a final note, this film reminded me very much of a Japanese film from 1964, Onibaba, again about a mother and daughter who murder people, only this time fleeing soldiers for their armor and money. That's worth a watch too. My general impression is that the people who dislike the film like their cinematic gratification fast and furious. For those prepared to give Coyote Lake a chance, you may well find it rewarding.

I happened upon this gem of a movie by accident. What a pleasant surprise. The movie is very well acted, with the mother and daughter putting in a stellar performance. I hope to see them more in the future. The plot is original, grabbing your attention from the very first frame. You can't believe what you are watching. I won't say more, so as not to spoil it for others. This is a real sleeper that you'll enjoy!