Documentary filmmaker Kevin McCarey makes his fictional feature debut with this drama about a young girl's coming of age and her father's life outside the law. Shep Dolan (Leo Gannan) is a drifter headed to Baja in search of work, with his daughter Nora (Kristen Carmody) in tow. They pay a visit to Shep's former girlfriend Graciela (Lina Gallegos), who strikes up a fast friendship with Nora, and when Shep's job falls through, Nora convinces him they should stay on with Graciela. Short on cash, Shep tries to earn a few bucks smuggling illegal aliens across the Mexican border into the U.S., but his plans soon run awry and Shep and Nora flee to the desert in hopes of eluding the police. Coyotes' naturalistic style and realistic depiction of the shifting father/daughter relationship give this film clear ties to McCarey's earlier nonfiction work.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide