If you told me a few years ago that the first movie to be dedicated to the late Ray Liotta, the star of classic films such as Goodfellas and Field of Dreams, would be about the killing spree that a bear embarks on after ingesting cocaine, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Yet, that is exactly what happened with the release of the simply titled Cocaine Bear. This movie has been getting a ton of social media buzz due to its extremely bizarre premise, which surprisingly is based on real events that occurred in the 1980s, although in reality, the bear died within minutes of ingesting the cocaine. The movie might not be accurate to the events that inspired it, but it more than makes up for that with how entertaining it is
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Directed by Elizabeth Banks, yes that Elizabeth Banks, Cocaine Bear follows the story of two drug dealers trying to locate their lost cocaine that was dropped from a plane the night before. On their search, they encounter the eponymous bear, and their mission quickly turns into one of survival. I would assume that most viewers, myself included, do not really care about any part of the movie that does not have the bear in it, and frankly, I feel like the filmmakers felt the same way. The characters are all in the movie to add to either the film’s star presence or its body count, and none of them truly stand out from one another. The comedy also falls flat at times, although that’s not to say there weren’t a few laugh-out-loud moments.
Despite the lack of developed characters or interesting subplots, the movie is still wildly entertaining, thanks almost entirely to the scenes with the bear. Those scenes are gory and over the top in the best way possible, and anyone who comes to the theater hoping to see a bear high on cocaine do some ridiculous stuff will not be disappointed in the slightest. Cocaine Bear is one of those movies that knows its audience and doesn’t try to be anything that it’s not. So, if you and your friends are looking for a movie to watch over spring break, I’d give Cocaine Bear a shot.
