Coyote Cage reteams director Michael Perez and scribe Devin O’Leary after Big Mistake. This dramatic thriller follows a half dozen or so people hoping to cross the border from Mexico into the United States of America. Maria (Aubrey Trujillo) and her sister, Dora (Juliana Philippi), are fleeing gang violence and tragedy. Aurelia (Marila Lombrozo) is taking her daughter to a family member where she’ll be safe. Fonso (Valentin Mexico) is desperate to make money and keep it. Alicia (Mariah Padilla) was traveling with her parents, but they only had enough money for her to go all the way. Finally, there’s Raul (Pablo Correa), who is running from someone or something but is vague on the particulars.
What unites these seven people is that they all hired the same “coyote,” or border crossing specialist. He’s affectionately known as Guero (Michael L. Nulty), and he knows a spot along the Rio Grande River border patrol doesn’t go by very much. Unfortunately, on their outing, the group runs into some overzealous American vigilantes who send everyone running. Now, Guero must corral everyone together and get his bearings. Unfortunately, they scattered into cartel territory, and now its head, Nomar (Carlos Enrique Almirante), has them in his sights.
The above plot synopsis is slightly inaccurate for the sake of brevity. But all the main threads present in Coyote Cage are touched upon for context’s sake. See, the cartel stuff happens slightly differently than explained, and not until late in the 103-minute runtime. The jarring nature of this twist, in which the group becomes captives of Nomar, takes a while to adjust. Up until that point, this is a story of the hardships of crossing the border, and then, all of a sudden, it morphs into something else entirely.
“…a half dozen or so people hoping to cross the border from Mexico into the United States…”
The good news is that once all watching get on this new wavelength, the third act is still exhilarating. The first act is all about character development. It digs deep into these people and their why. Some rationales are better than others, but all are engaging in their own way. The second act is the journey and how difficult it truly is to cross the border. And that excludes any possible law enforcement officers on either side. The third act is about the brutal violence the cartel inflicts upon citizens on a daily basis. It is shocking, but the visceral nature of it all is memorable.
The cast of Coyote Cage shines throughout. Philippi has excellent comedy skills, and Trujillo sells her character’s no-nonsense attitude. Correa oozes mysterious cool while Mexico is believably desperate. The two stand-outs, though, are Nulty and Lombrozo. Nulty makes Guero likable, despite his instance this is just a job. Lombrozo is sweet and fierce in equal measure. Her determination to do anything to give her daughter a better, safe life is never questioned.
Coyote Cage is an interesting beast, albeit one that does take a few minutes to readjust to as the third act switches gears. The script is populated with well-rounded characters that a talented cast brings to life. Yes, the third act is jarring, but that is part of the point, and its brutal nature will not be soon forgotten.
For more information, visit the official Coyote Cage site.
"…will not be soon forgotten."
