Cocaine Bear
COCAINE BEAR (18)
D: Elizabeth Banks
Universal / Brownstone / Jurassic Party (Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, Brian Duffield & Aditya Sood)
US đşđ¸Â 2023
95 mins
Horror/Comedy
W: Jimmy Warden
DP: John Gulesarian
Ed: Joel Negron
Mus: Mark MothersbaughÂ
Keri Russell (Sari), Alden Ehrenreich (Eddie), OâShea Jackson, Jr. (Daveed), Ray Liotta (Syd), Isaiah Whitlock, Jr. (Bob), Brooklynn Prince (Dee Dee), Christian Convery (Henry), Margo Martindale (Liz)
âInspired by true eventsâ it may be, but to say this film plays fast and loose with them could be the biggest understatement of 2023.
As far as the truth goes, a real American black bear fatally overdosed on cocaine hidden by drug smugglers in the Tennessee wilderness, earning the nicknames âCocaine Bearâ, âCokey the Bearâ and âPablo Escobearâ, but that probably wouldnât make for a very interesting narrative, so the OTT level is cranked up to 11 so the eponymous grizzly can go on a drug-fuelled rampage, causing havoc in the Georgia woods where park rangers, criminals, tourists and a pair of teenagers try to keep themselves safe from the carnage.
Youâre likely to know whether or not this is a film for you by the title alone, and if youâre looking for brainless entertainment, thatâs exactly what youâre going to get.
It does have some things to enjoy, but this probably doesnât outweigh all the flaws. As a horror, itâs just far too goofy and cartoonish, with a CGI bear that never looks truly convincing, while as a comedy, the novelty of a coked-up bear soon wears off long before the end credits.
Simplistic as movies come, it may still be one of the most iconic films of the year, even if it is nowhere near classic status. Personally, I think it works best when considered a parody of the 1970âs âhuman vs natureâ horror flicks  (Grizzly, etc.), but I wouldnât subject myself to it again, because it would certainly wreck my brain.
6/10
