The Horror Show
Coyote
by Trevor Juenger
Mental anguish and strain is a common theme in the horror genre. This is for good reason. There are few things more terrifying than losing one's own faculties and entering into a world of their own full of danger and fear that no other person can ease in any way. The feeling of isolation and detachment from reality is something that most fear and so, of course, a lot of terror can come from such a concept.
Coyote tells the tale of Bill (Bill Oberst Jr.) an inspiring writer, plagued by frustration and insomnia. As time goes on he takes on the moniker that “Sleep Is The Enemy” and becomes more disgruntled. Soon Bill begins to see himself as a foreign creature, an alien of sorts, and the population around him as an enemy almost as dangerous as sleep. He becomes angry, violent, and psychotic, and it all boils down to gruesome acts that he feels are justified. It's all about the journey, though, and it's quite the journey indeed.
Coyote differs from projects about similar subject matters. It isn't like Jacob's Ladder where the craziness that may or not be real is just happening to the title character. It also separates itself from works like Stephen King's Insomnia where we start at the very beginning. Coyote begins when Bill is still somewhat of sound mind but his state is clearly getting to him. At the start he is still able to work, converse with other people, etc. However, he is well on his way to dangerous territory off the bat, and as the film progresses we see him lose contact with reality and become his own being. He seems in control in an odd way. He doesn't seem to think the world around him is coming undone, it’s more that his psychosis is allowing him to believe that he is an evolved being, and in an odd way knows exactly what he is doing. It may only make sense to him, but he asserts dominance over the situation.
One of the many interesting things about Coyote is that, at a certain point, insomnia isn't really the problem anymore. As previously stated, Bill has committed himself to the concept that sleep is his enemy. At one point, he is enraged to the point of furious screaming that a coworker at his new job allowed him to fall asleep. He no longer “can't” fall asleep in terms of ability; he can't fall asleep out of unwillingness to do so.
The film pulls off the very impressive feat of both being crazy and chaotic while still being coherent. At no point was I confused about what was in his head and what was really happening. This is a tough thing to accomplish, as movies of this type can often get so lost with distancing themselves from reality that they simply become boring; a barrage of oddities that grow dull over time. This is never the case with Coyote, which is an organized kind of crazy. That last sentence might seem contradictory but you really just have to see it to believe it.
Bill Oberst Jr. does a phenomenal job carrying the film, as he is the one constant. His starting agitation moving to his descent into madness feels natural and realistic. Bill (the character) isn't a likable guy, really. He is downright cruel to people at times, which seems to stem less from frustration as much as seeing everyone around him as an enemy and a threat. But it isn't a strain to stick with him, I found myself drawn to his character despite his nature. He is tortured and that seems to motivate everything that transpires, no matter what he thinks he is doing.
The film uses several interesting techniques to showcase Bill's mental deterioration and state of mind. We see the same scene in which he reacts two different ways, we see him shed his skin and reveal what he truly believes himself to be. We witness his hallucinations without warning and see the affect they have on how he reacts to normal situations in life.
There aren’t a ton of special effects, but the competency displayed when such things do come into play only makes these few occasions all the more effective. Everyone involved seems aware of what they were doing and a lot of passion and effort was clearly put forward.
As with most worthwhile efforts, Coyote isn't a film for your average viewer but that's exactly what I like about it. It's a rough decline to watch unfold, but it's one hell of an experience. And the fact that Dave Campfield, a personal favorite filmmaker of mine, did the DVD authoring certainly doesn't hurt. So if you wanna try something that should stick with you for a while, I would definitely recommend giving Coyote a watch.
P.J. Griffin, HMS
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