Time: 95 Minutes
Age Rating: R16 – Graphic violence, drug use & offensive language
Cast:
Keri Russell as Sari
Alden Ehrenreich as Eddie
O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Daveed
Ray Liotta as Syd
Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Bob
Brooklynn Prince as Dee Dee
Christian Convery as Henry
Margo Martindale as Ranger Liz
Director: Elizabeth Banks

The movie certainly got some attention from its title and premise alone, with it being about a bear consuming cocaine and going on a rampage. I didn’t really have interest in the movie, but one day I did check it out, and while I wouldn’t say that it’s good, I somewhat enjoyed it. 

The premise is loosely based on a true life event from the 1980s, where a black bear consumed several kilograms of lost cocaine. The question is how one makes a whole movie out of that premise, and not just a 30 minute short film (at max). The movie introduces a number of characters and plotlines who end up at this one location with this cocaine bear. An understandable approach, but there are also so many of these characters to keep track of that it feels really disjointed. It doesn’t help that these plotlines really aren’t all that interesting and can’t sustain momentum when the bear isn’t on screen, and that bear really wasn’t on screen as much as I would’ve liked. The movie is really lacking in energy and the pacing is all over the place. Despite being only 95 minutes in length, really the ideal runtime for a movie like this, it still managed to feel considerably longer. This premise lends itself to a kind of trashy B movie and there are times where it feels like it’s going for that, but it’s not that entertaining. It’s a bit too clean, despite all the gory moments, and while there are some moments of meanness, I think it’s a bit too earnest. Despite clearly being a comedy, Cocaine Bear manages to take itself too seriously. The humour itself unfortunately is very middling, with plenty of jokes which don’t land at all. That’s not to say that it’s all bad, a few jokes work, and there are some brief moments of energy, such as one scene involving an ambulance.

There is a good cast assembled for the movie. Most of them are a little wasted on this, but they are still pretty fun and good in their parts, including Alden Ehrenreich, Ray Liotta, Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson, and Brooklynn Prince. They all seemed to know the kind of movie that they were in.

The direction from Elizabeth Banks is sort of a mixed bag. The cinematography and editing is basic and uninspired and almost feels direct to video. There are definitely some gnarly kills involving the bear and there are occasionally some creative and exciting sequences, but generally, its nothing special.

Cocaine Bear is mildly entertaining in parts and benefits from a fun cast, but it’s disappointingly boring for the most part. For a movie called Cocaine Bear, it wasn’t that exciting and didn’t even have enough of the bear. However, I can’t say that there isn’t fun to be had with it.