By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
A bear gets high on cocaine and wreaks havoc through a national park. As soon as the trailer for ‘Cocaine Bear’ was out, I knew I HAD to watch it. It looked like a fun summer horror comedy with a talented ensemble cast to boot. And guess what, I even convinced my mom to come along to watch it, and while she wasn’t thrilled with some of the violence, the movie was a total hit with us!
Directed by Elizabeth Banks and written by Jimmy Warden, the film is inspired by true events, although the real bear had overdosed and died before it could go on a murderous rampage. During the few seconds the bear was high on drugs, it was one of the most dangerous predators on the planet.
The film starts with a hilarious sequence of a deranged dude dropping bags of cocaine from his chopper over a forest, only to meet his demise when his parachute fails to open. When a bear accidentally sniffs the cocaine, it goes on a killing spree, leaving a trail of victims in its wake, including a group of tourists, cops, teen delinquents, and criminals who were searching for their lost shipment of drugs.
I’m afraid this will become a rather long essay if I begin to critique the cast’s performance because the movie isn’t driven by a single character, and everybody delivers their bit with aplomb. Keri Russell, Alden Ehrenreich, O’Shea Jackson, Isiah Whitlock, Margo Martindale, Christian Convery, Aaron Holliday… they were all entertaining. Of course, the cocaine bear is the highlight of this film. The VFX team has done a fantastic job with its depiction, from the coked-up eyes to its angst-filled breathing, the predator is magnificently intimidating and will thrill viewers.
The screenplay is engaging as hell, from stunning views of lush green forests, to violent shots of unfortunate victims, the creators nicely balance the blood-fest with bright scenic shots of nature. Leave all practical questions aside and enjoy watching a giant black bear going nuts in the forest.
It’s an 8 on 10 from me.
Subscribe to our Podcast show by the same name on YouTube.
Listen to ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse’ Review
