Some film titles come along with an enigmatic presence, willing audiences to go and find out what the title might possibly mean. Elizabeth Banks' latest film has no such issue promising two things. One big black bear and a metric ton of high grade Columbian bam bam. Cocaine Bear pits a disparate group of people in the woods against a Black Bear who has ingested a lot of coke and is going on a bloody rampage.
In an age of franchise movies, and IP, it seems like a breath of fresh air. A big budget comedy-horror film with an all-star cast headed by a female director known for her acting. It's a risk not lost on star Keri Russell who plays Nurse and single mother Sari McKendry. “These bigger studio features don't have a lot of female directors.” Russell is no stranger to facing off against CGI animals, since she had a starring role in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. But even in a male dominated field Russell has pondered on her career. “I have been super lucky in my career that it's been half and half.”
From the title, to the trailer the tone of the film has promised a full blooded, laugh filled romp and it's one that Banks' is clearly concerned with. “It was about tone.” She admits when asked what the challenges of directing a film of this nature. “It was about fun for me. I want the audience to strap in for a ride.” A ride is what audiences get, with faces chewed off, death by ambulance crash and a lot of limbs flying off. It's a horror film but one with it's tongue firmly in it's cheek, when it's not being ripped out by a big bear.
“It was way more gory that I thought it'd be.” Admits Alden Ehrenreich who plays grieving dad Eddie, son of drug king pin Syd. “It's one thing to read about entrails being dragged around. It's another to see it on screen.” Russell agrees “There's no half-assing,. you have to show up and scream. Everything in this movie is a big swing.”
It appears that this sort of film is one that many people signed up for based on their experiences in the pandemic. Banks in particular found a resonance with the themes of the film and the situation the world faced. “I thought wow, there's no better metaphor for the horror surrounding my life than a bear that's high on cocaine.” It's a film that demands an audience to enjoy, sitting and revelling in the outrageous jokes. It's no surprise then that the premise and the jokes spoke to Russell too. “It was the height of the pandemic, and everything was so dark. So it was an easier yes.”
“I don't even like being around bears at the zoo.” Admits O'Shea Jackson Jr who plays Eddie's drug dealing friend Daveed. He laughs as he admits this. “If I see coke-y, that's an issue. That's a real problem.” But it's not just the fun that the film indulges in. It's an ode to single parents. From Russell's Sari, to Ehrenreich's Eddie to the titular bear. Single parents are all over the film. None more clearly than in the late Ray Liotta.
Liotta plays Eddie's father Syd, a drug lord intent of getting the bags of cocaine to keep Pablo Escobar happy. In one of his final films, his presence has been felt in the film. “Ray was such a phenomenal actor.” Ehrenreich laments “He was such a sweet man, and really seemed to be having a great time. We're all missing him.” But his legacy isn't just confined to on screen, when asked who would beat the cocaine bear in a fight Jackson Jr immediately chimes in “I bet my money of Ray. He'd find a way to beat the bear.”
Cocaine Bear is in UK cinemas now. Read our review HERE
