If you want to see a bear snort a line of cocaine off of a severed human leg, then “Cocaine Bear” was made just for you.
The brilliantly simple title of this movie tells you everything you need to know about it: A bear does cocaine.
As outlandish as this concept sounds, this movie is based — loosely — on a true story.
In 1985, a 175-pound black bear became famous for overdosing on cocaine lost by drug traffickers in Tennessee, and thus, “Cocaine Bear” was born.
That is where the similarities stop however, as this movie explores the avenue of what could have happened if the bear instead got hooked on the coke and went on a murderous rampage.
If you have ever heard someone complain “All of the best scenes were in the trailer,” that is a fairly accurate assessment.
With that being said, the trailer for this movie is thrilling, it makes you think to yourself “No way this movie actually exists,” while simultaneously sending the link to your friends, telling them they have to watch it.
Directed by Elizabeth Banks, the film opens by introducing a drug dealer, who is flying high in more ways than one.
It isn’t entirely clear why he’s getting rid of duffel bags that contain millions of dollars in cocaine, but it’s a lively sequence of events with an unfortunate twist ending.
Rather than depict the scene when the bear actually discovers and devours the drugs, the film shifts its focus to introducing quite a few human characters.
Bringing in these side characters creates a number of subplots, and while some of these subplots are interesting, none are more intriguing than the main character of the movie, the bear that is high on cocaine.
That is the biggest criticism I have of the film — attempting to weave these subplots together just subtracts screen time away from the bear, and the bear is easily the most entertaining part of the film.
I realize I sound like a psychopath, saying all I wanted to watch was the drugged-out, tweaking bear go on a killing spree, but the filmmakers did a good job giving the bear some personality.
While most of the bear’s actions are murder and searching for more cocaine, she has some comical moments, including getting distracted by a butterfly, posing for pictures and even taking a nap.
The first three quarters of the movie keep you entertained and engaged, but the final act is a bit of a bore and leaves audience members wishing for one more fast-paced action scene.
In a movie about a bear doing cocaine, the final message somehow ends up being the importance of being a loyal friend and a caring parent; both admirable qualities, but it’s just strange how they fit into this particular movie.
It is best to watch “Cocaine Bear” without overthinking it; this movie won’t win the Oscar for best picture, but it could give you some laughs and maybe even a scream or two if you let it.