Cocaine Bear
Elizabeth Banks truly understands the assignment when it comes to bringing Jimmy Warden’s screenplay to the screen. You either thread the needle between laughs and horror to make an absurdist comedy along the lines of an “Evil Dead 2,” or you just give in to the chaotic premise of this film and make a movie that would not surprise us if it showed up on “Mystery Science Theater 3000” or a RiffTrax Live! show in the future. Banks opts for option 2, and it was the correct choice- there’s no way to make this serious, or even consistently funny, while giving in to the willful stupidity of the premise. Embrace the chaos, and let the audience decide. Personally? This is the movie we hoped we were getting with “Snakes on a Plane” back in 2006.
“Cocaine Bear” is based on the true story of a Black Bear in Northern Georgia which inhaled a duffle bag of cocaine and went on a rampage. The bear died in real life, and its exploits prior to its death are not known. In the film by Warden and Banks, they basically posit that the bear went on a rampage that included a couple on a hike; a park ranger (Margo Martindale) and an animal expert (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) she has feelings for; three thieving morons; two teenagers (Christian Convery and Brooklynn Prince) who skip school to paint a waterfall; the mother (Keri Russell) of the girl; two drug traffickers (O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Alden Ehrenreich) trying to find the cocaine for their boss (the late Ray Liotta); and a cop (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) trying to break the case. Some are trying to get the cocaine- which was tossed out of a plane at the beginning- while others are just trying to live their lives. All are in danger at one point or another.
Part of the reason “Cocaine Bear” works so well is because it’s such a tantalizing B-movie premise, once you accept it won’t make high art, you make it as gleefully ridiculous as possible. The basic ideas behind the original story are enough to provide the framework for this film’s dark humor, all Warden and Banks have to do is fill in the blanks with whatever they want, and see if it sticks. Does any of this make sense? Not at all, but it doesn’t need to. The characters are 1-dimensional and lack real moral arcs, and that’s fine. We’re just supposed to enjoy seeing each of these characters find themselves in the middle of the bear’s cocaine high, and because all of these actors get what they need to be doing, we do.
I’m not surprised to read that much of the film’s budget went to the FX for the bear, and WETA does a fantastic job bringing this drug-fueled bear to life. Banks and everyone else understands who the true star of this film is, and seeing them react to it is one of the great pleasures of the film. The film reminds us often that this bear is, indeed, on cocaine, and while that’s ultimately ridiculous for a film to do, this is where I love the tone the film achieves. It would be unwatchable played straight; played as if everyone did a line or two before the cameras rolled (including the kids), we are more willing to go along with the film’s craziness. Bloody, darkly funny and ultimately devoid of anything remotely good for you, “Cocaine Bear” reminds us that stupid, knowing fun should always be on the menu at the movies.
