'Cocaine Bear': Critics call Elizabeth Banks-directed film 'one of the best movies of the year'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Universal Pictures' 'Cocaine Bear' is directed by the talented Elizabeth Banks. The movie is based on the true story and has managed to garner some buzz since its announcement. The reviews for the movis is finally out and the critics are giving a mixed to positive remarks for the movie. The movie currently holds a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The official synopsis of the movie from Universal Pictures reads, "Inspired by the 1985 true story of a drug runner's plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it, this wild thriller finds an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a 500- pound apex predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow … and blood." 'Cocaine Bear' stars Keri Russell (The Americans), Emmy winner Margo Martindale (The Americans), Emmy winner Ray Liotta (The Many Saints of Newark), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo: A Star Wars Story), O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Kristofer Hivju (Game of Thrones), Kahyun Kim (American Gods), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), Brooklynn Prince (The Florida Project) and newcomer Scott Seiss.
RELATED ARTICLES
Elizabeth Banks REVEALS how 'Cocaine Bear' pays TRIBUTE to Sam Raimi and John Carpenter
'One of the best movies of the year'
Sara Michelle Fetters of MovieFreak.com appreciated the straight forward movie narrative and added, "Cocaine Bear does not try to sell itself as something it is not. There is a bear. It is addicted to cocaine. It proceeds to kill several people. Gory, whacked-out weirdness transpires over an economical 95 minutes. That’s it. That’s the movie." Lovia Gyarkye from The Hollywood Reporter also praised the movie for its simple story with its absurd, situational humor by saying, "Because Cocaine Bear doesn’t take itself too seriously, you shouldn’t either. The creators toy with Cokey’s murderous tendencies, which are only triggered when she crosses paths with humans. An appetite for body horror is a prerequisite for fully appreciating the absurdity of the pain and torture inflicted upon people in the film: the chorus of shrill screams, limbs flying toward the camera, skin tearing like leather — you get the picture. Banks and Warden take immense and infectious joy in engineering these scenarios, ratcheting up the ridiculousness to volley with our nerves. One minute you’re chuckling at a zingy one-liner, the next you’re muttering “what the f**k” under your breath."
Pete Hammond of Deadline praised the direction of Elizabeth Banks by adding, "Banks is a savvy director, never letting the intended humor camp things up too much, but also well aware this is a horror film with a flesh-chomping bear at its center and all the body parts that entails, and audiences have to buy all that or the soufflé falls. It doesn’t. You’ll have a blast." Ian Sandwell of Digital Spy also praised the movie by saying, "Cocaine Bear is everything you want a movie called Cocaine Bear to be – and also genuinely one of the best movies of the year to date."
'Simultaneously gruesome and amusing'
Cary Darling of Houston Chronicle gave 'Cocaine Bear' a mixed response by adding, "Simultaneously gruesome and amusing...The film never devolves into "Bearnado." On the other hand, it's no "Jaws" either." David Sims of The Atlantic felt there is no character in the movie to root for by adding, "Cocaine Bear could’ve been a triumph if the jokes landed, but the zingers just aren’t up to the mayhem. And though the character actors are all capable of sterling work, there’s nobody to root for here; Ehrenreich comes the closest, giving his coke-hunting dirtbag character just enough humanity that you aren’t instantly hoping for his limbs to be torn off. But the main event is the cocaine bear, and the meager humans only distract from her might."
'Cocaine Bear' is Elizabeth Bank's latest theatrical release after the 2019 'Charlie's Angels'. This also marks the latest release of Alden Ehrenreich after the recent successful Netflix movie 'Fair Play' (2023). Alden Ehrenreich will be seen in the upcoming Marvel TV series 'Ironheart' which is set to release this year.
'Cocaine Bear' is currently running exclusively on Theatres.