Cocaine Bear (2023)
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Writer: Jimmy Warden
Stars: Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ray Liotta, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
"Cocaine Bear" was the nickname given to a black bear that died of a drug overdose after consuming a large quantity of cocaine. The incident occurred in 1985 when drug smuggler Andrew Thornton II dropped several packages of cocaine from an airplane in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia, USA. One of the packages landed near the bear, and the animal consumed the cocaine, which led to its death.
The above are the “true events” the film was based on. Of course, all similarities to the truth disappear after the bear gets her paws on the cocaine, otherwise the movie would be short and uninteresting. In the film, said bear goes on a murderous rampage through the forest while looking for her next fix. A pair of drug dealers (Alden Ehrenreich and O'Shea Jackson Jr.) are seeking the abandoned drugs while a mom (Kerri Russell) looks for her daughter and a cop (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) looks for the drug dealers. Eventually, the head dealer (Ray Liotta in his final role) joins the party for the final act of the film.
If there’s one thing the movie is, it’s honest. What one sees in the trailer is exactly what one gets. Lots of laughs, a little tension, an abundance of profanity, and a little gore. While it obviously doesn’t have a blockbuster budget the creators made good use of what they had with solid production values and some great bear CG. The cast did a fantastic job, especially considering the material they had to work with, and they did a solid job. Mark Mothersbaugh’s synth score was good, perfect for the era the film was set in.
If you are looking for a fun and funny 95 minutes and don’t mind a lot of profanity you can’t go wrong with this. I'll be purchasing it on day one.
Cocaine Bear (2023) trailer
