"Cocaine Bear"
By Daniel Lin Apr. 5, 2023
Cocaine. Bear. That is all you need to know about this movie. But for the sake of a proper review, I will elaborate. “Cocaine Bear” is a wild and bizarre adventure that centers around a true story of a bear that stumbled upon a stash of cocaine dropped from a plane in 1985. The film follows the journey of various characters who are all connected to this event in some way and the chaos and mayhem that ensues. It is a dark comedy that leans into its absurd premise with glee.
However, “Cocaine Bear” does not accurately represent the true story it is based on. While the movie depicts the bear becoming aggressive and violent after consuming cocaine, the real Cocaine Bear, also referred to as Pablo Escobear or Cokey the Bear, was a 175-pound American black bear that fatally overdosed on nearly 75 pounds of cocaine. No murderous rampage leading to several human casualties; instead, sadly one dead bear.
“Cocaine Bear” was at its high during the comically violent confrontations with the bear, but even among the action sequences, many were not as entertaining as they could have been—there was a noticeable tendency towards using predictable jump-scares to replace engaging action. Additionally, many parts attempted to be more meaningful and sentimental, but this only dragged out the pacing.
On the bright side, the CGI for the bear was surprisingly smooth, given its relatively low budget of $30 to $35 million. The bear’s movement appeared unnatural sometimes, but this did not break the illusion.
Overall, “Cocaine Bear” is neither an amazing or terrible movie. Yes, there is cocaine. Yes, there is a bear. But no, there is not much else. It definitely falls short of expectations as a captivating retelling of an unusual and fascinating true story. Despite a few promising moments of humor and absurdity, the film fails to fully explore the potential of its premise and instead relies on predictable clichés and unremarkable storytelling. Unless you are a die-hard fan of bizarre true stories or are curious about the infamous Cocaine Bear, this movie may not be worth the watch.
About the Contributors
Daniel Lin
viewpoint page editor
Daniel Lin is a junior at Leland High School and the Viewpoint Page Editor for The Charger Account. During his free time. He enjoys watching television shows, sleeping, and playing tuba.
