Cocaine Bear

He’s gained the edge to kill. On March 2nd, 2023, I saw the horror comedy film Cocaine Bear in theaters. Starring Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Alden Ehrenreich, it is rated R and has one of the final appearances of the legendary Ray Liotta. Directed by Elizabeth Banks, it takes place in Georgia 1985 and is loosely based on a true story.

What should have been simple drug smuggling goes wrong when several kilos of packaged cocaine fall to the ground. After eating it, a normally peaceful black bear becomes enraged and goes on a killing spree. Nobody is safe from the bear’s wrath. Can anyone make it out alive?

I was hooked from the first time I saw the trailer. I had a feeling I was in for a good time, and I was not disappointed. To start off my praise for this movie, I must begin with the tone. Taking on the challenge of horror-comedy, the movie can pull off an efficient shift in the tone throughout rather easily. Some of the scenes with the bear are meant to be scary. As such, these scenes include some pretty intense buildup and terrifying deaths. At other points, some of the scenes with the bear are meant to be funny. They accomplish this by playing some horrifying scenarios in a ridiculous manner, which resulted in laughter throughout the theater. One scene I found particularly hilarious for this reason. The movie also succeeds in providing just flat-out cool moments. To no surprise at all, the titular bear high on cocaine provides the best example of coolness during the movie’s climax. Whether scary, funny, or cool, the tone effectively switches to what was needed in the moment.

What I like about the characters in this movie is that they are established early and develop throughout the plot. You get who each of these people are, what they are like, and who they are connected to. As such, it makes it more interesting when we watch to see who among everyone will live to the end. Especially since there’s two different stories going on at once. This is also helped from some convincing acting. I will give special mention to Ray Liotta. He plays Syd White, a kingpin who seeks to reclaim the drugs that were lost. In a movie about a rampaging animal, he still sticks out as the true villain, since unlike the bear, he can control his actions. Liotta manages to give off an unlikable, but still believable performance, making us root against him even more. Other mentions go to Keri Russell playing Sari, a concerned mother looking for her daughter and daughter’s friend and risking death against a bear to do so, and Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Bob, a determined police officer who won’t let armed drug traffickers or a cocaine induced bear keep his cool down. All in all, these people carry the movie when the bear cannot.

Finally, I even find some aspects of the story interesting. The way the bear is used I find intriguing, as he simply kills under the influence of an addictive drug. As such, it just seems like an animal using instincts, instead of a malicious villain. The filmmakers wanted the bear to be sympathetic, which I think worked out for them. In addition, there is build up to what happens instead of just forcing it all at once. As mentioned above, they take time to introduce everyone and what their goals are, so I believe that just makes it more interesting when they are thrown in the middle of the bear’s rampage.

Overall, this was an enjoyable first trip to the movie theater this year. It has effective horror comedy, serviceable acting, and an engaging story. If it sounds watchable to you, I suggest you see it. Take it from someone who guessed that would be the case. This makes me look forward to so many other great movies in the theater this year.