'Cocaine Bear' (2023) Reaction

With a title like Cocaine Bear, it’s easy to see how the latest directorial effort from Elizabeth Banks has turned into one of the most intriguing releases of the year. If the premise alone isn’t enough to entice you, then perhaps you’ll bite on the “inspired by true events” tagline. For those wondering, the true events take place in 1985, when a bear was found dead in Georgia’s Chattahoochee National Forest due to a cocaine overdose, supposedly from Kentucky drug-lord Andrew Thornton, who allegedly threw a chunk of his nearly-900 pound stash out of a plane for fear of being followed by the Feds. 38 years later, the film that takes loose inspiration from these events delivers heavily on both sides of the horror-comedy coin.

Cocaine Bear is a self-aware film that takes a very “what you see is what you get” approach and leaves nothing hidden – the title clearly explains the premise, the trailer is a clear and accurate depiction of the tone the movie adopts, and there is not a single sense that the film is trying to be anything it isn’t. It is a bona-fide horror-comedy in every sense of the word – nothing more, nothing less.

While the overall tone of Cocaine Bear feels mostly comedic, the film does deliver on the suspense on a few occasions. There are even a couple jumpscares here and there, with the effectiveness depending on how tuned in you are to what’s happening onscreen. Hardcore horror fans may even notice a couple nods to the greats like A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Frankenstein (1931) – the intentionality of those parallels remain to be revealed, but the moments are still similar enough to raise some comparisons if that’s the narrative you want to make. To further delve into the horror half, the practical effects are an appreciated spectacle as well, with the handiwork of the titular animal looking surprisingly realistic. 

Comedically, the film features a well-rounded cast that’s able to lean into the lighter side of the horror-comedy, from Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson to TikTok star Scott Seis. It’s also the first posthumous release of the late great Ray Liotta, who unsurprisingly gives a fantastic performance for the limited time he’s seen. The funniest of the bunch may actually be the young actors Christian Convery and Brooklynn Prince, the children who are just as funny on their own as they are when they’re together. There’s also a lot to offer in terms of comedic style, from slapstick to self-parody to social satire, and while the mixed bag may yield mixed reactions, it’s always nice to have variety. 

All in all, Cocaine Bear is a fun watch that brings a lot of laughs and doesn’t slack on the suspense. If you were amused by the trailer and in search of a good time, then this is the film for you. If you hate fun and think too much, then stay away.

To learn more about Cocaine Bear and buy tickets, click here.

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