Cocaine Bear sounds like one of those WTF movies when you see the previews. And to be clear, it most certainly is. It’s done exceptionally well at the box office – an impressive $23.1 million in its opening weekend, beating out expectations.
It’s not shocking, really. The trailer was a viral sensation with over 18 million views on YouTube.
It probably says something about society, too. We’re all excited to see a bear who has done cocaine in the woods – and now he’s mauling innocent people that he comes across in “his” woods. The fact that it’s based on a true story only heightens the excitement to see the movie.
It’s rated R for a reason. The movie is a complete blood bath with gore splashed across the screen every few minutes.
But it’s more than that.
Elizabeth Banks is the executive producer. Considering that she’s the host of “Press Your Luck” and has actress credits to include “Hunger Games” and “Pitch Perfect,” you wouldn’t expect Cocaine Bear to be such a bloody movie. But it is.
Banks said that the title won her over instantly. “I felt my agent really knew me, deep in my soul. I felt seen, is really what happened.”
Don’t assume that Banks is focused on the people in the story. Even though it stars Keri Russell as a worried mom as well as Ray Liotta as a drug dealer in one of his last roles, Banks is more focused on the bear and his feelings. “This bear got into these drugs and OD’d on the drugs and was sort of collateral damage in this insane war on drugs that totally had gone sideways. And I really felt for the bear.”
The title of the movie really says it all. It tells you everything you need to know.
So, if you want to see the war on drugs go sideways and see a lot of blood in the process, get in line for a bucket of popcorn. Cocaine Bear is in theaters and is waiting for your social comments.
Side note: leave your kids at home for this one.
