“Cocaine Bear” is a wild dark comedy inspired by a true story of a drug runner’s plane crash, missing cocaine, and a black bear that ingested a staggering amount of cocaine, leading to a coke-fueled rampage in a Georgia forest. However, unlike the real-life bear that weighed only 175 pounds, the movie features a massive 500-pound “apex predator” bear that kills plenty of people in the film. In the true story, the bear didn’t actually kill anyone, but admittedly that doesn’t make for much of a story.
The Plot
The movie starts with a drug trafficker who drops bags filled with cocaine while flying over the forest in a plane that he then unsuccessfully evacuates. I have no idea what was wrong with the plane or why this was necessary, but it’s central to the plot so I guess we just have to go with it.
The bags land in the forest, and a bear finds them, ingesting a large amount of cocaine. The bear goes on a rampage for more cocaine and blood, and a group of characters, including cops, criminals, tourists, and teens, converge in the same forest with really no sense of urgency to escape.
Disappointing Execution
As a movie critic, I found “Cocaine Bear” to be an utter disappointment. The film is listed as a comedy thriller, but it’s neither funny nor thrilling. The jokes are dense, and even with my sense of humor, I found them cringy. The excessive gore doesn’t fit the comedy genre, and in one scene, two young children eat large amounts of cocaine, which serves no purpose to the overall story and feels like a desperate attempt at a joke.
The story is poorly developed, and the side stories are dense and feel irrelevant. It seems like the writers tried to include multiple characters and stories, but they failed to develop any of them properly. Everything hinges on the bear, and the movie feels like a desperate attempt to make a story out of loosely based on real-life events. The flimsy plot and uninteresting characters make it hard to care about what’s happening on the screen.
Ray Liotta’s Surprising Appearance
It was nice to see Ray Liotta, who I am assuming didn’t read the script. He’s a talented actor known for his roles in movies like “Goodfellas” and “Blow.” So I was surprised to see him in a project like this, and one can only speculate why he agreed to take part in the project. Liotta’s role in the film marks his final completed film role before his passing on May 26, 2022. It’s unfortunate that this is what he’s left us with.
Final Verdict
In conclusion, “Cocaine Bear” had an interesting premise, but the execution was an utter flop. The writers needed to commit to either making it a comedy or a low-budget horror film. The movie tries to be both, but it fails to deliver a well-crafted story that could keep the audience engaged. Despite having a 6.2/10 rating on IMDB, I have no clue who is giving it positive reviews. The premise was interesting, but the film was a disappointment. If you’re looking for a wild dark comedy, this movie is not it.
