• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Keri Russell stars in a scene from the movie "Cocaine Bear." The OSV News classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.(OSV News photo/Pat Redmond, Universal)

Movie Review: ‘Cocaine Bear’

February 25, 2023
By John Mulderig
OSV News
Filed Under: Movie & Television Reviews

NEW YORK (OSV News) – Moviegoers would be justified in expecting a film called “Cocaine Bear” (Universal) to showcase some off-kilter ursine shenanigans (and, perhaps, some human ones as well). What they may not expect — but do, unfortunately get — are sickening scenes of the titular predator’s bloodsoaked rampaging played for laughs.

That’s a shame because, as scripted by Jimmy Warden, director Elizabeth Banks’ dark comedy starts out as an amusing ensemble piece about eccentric characters brought into contact by bizarre circumstances. (The plot is very loosely tethered to real-life events that transpired in 1985.)

After crazed drug dealer Andrew Thorton (Matthew Rhys) throws his cargo of cocaine out of an airplane while flying over a national forest, and dies before he can retrieve it, a portion of the scattered hoard is eaten by a black bear. The addled animal then proceeds to threaten the lives of a motley crew of nearby people both ordinary and quirky.

Among the down-to-earth are nurse and mom Sari (Keri Russell), her daughter Dee Dee (Brooklynn Prince) and Henry (Christian Convery-Jennings) the schoolmate with whom Dee Dee has decided to play hooky for the day. The mildly pixelated include vain, man-hungry park ranger Liz (Margo Martindale).

On hand to represent pure evil is Syd (the late Ray Liotta), the crime boss who’ll be in a jam if the remainder of the cocaine isn’t recovered. He dispatches his son Eddie (Alden Ehrenreich) and Daveed (O’Shea Jackson Jr.), one of his minions, to remedy the situation. With recently widowed Eddie bewailing his loss, Daveed plays straight man to his pal’s outsized grief.

The comic potential of Warden’s premise is squandered amid a series of noisome images intended as shock gross-out humor. The outlook for genuine laughs, accordingly, grows increasingly bearish.

The film contains excessive gory violence, including extremely gruesome scenes of death and dismemberment, underage drug use, several instances of profanity, about a half-dozen milder oaths, pervasive rough language, much crude talk and an obscene gesture. The OSV News classification is O — morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on Twitter @JohnMulderig1.

Read More Movie & Television Reviews

Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’

Movie Review: ‘The Boogeyman’

Videogame Review: ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’

Shia LaBeouf: ‘I fell in love with Christ’ to portray Padre Pio on screen

Movie Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’

TV Review: ‘Mrs. Davis’

Copyright © 2023 OSV News

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

John Mulderig

John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Assault outside Planned Parenthood office leaves pregnancy center employees shaken
  • Missionary of mercy priest: ‘Be Christ to all people’ in a world ‘hungry for the Word’
  • ‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years
  • Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’
  • Bishop Victor Galeone, former Archdiocese of Baltimore priest and bishop of St. Augustine, dies at 87

| CURRENT EDITION |

| 2023 Attorney General’s Report |

Abuse survivor reflects on John Merzbacher’s death

Archbishop Lori affirms support for transparency in addressing sexual abuse

Believe us: Survivors express anger, hope following release of attorney general’s report

‘Good is stronger than evil,’ Archbishop Lori proclaims at Easter Mass

Maryland attorney general acknowledges that church has changed response

| Crisis in Ukraine |

After visit to Ukraine, Swedish cardinal says he hopes for ‘just peace’

Ukrainian church leaders cite lack of information on Vatican initiatives

Cardinal Zuppi, pope’s peace envoy, talks about war in Ukraine

Vatican secretary of state calls for ‘creative’ peace efforts in Ukraine

US Ukrainian Catholics greet Zelenskyy-Pope Francis meeting with elation, concern

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

| Movie & Television Reviews |

Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’

Movie Review: ‘The Boogeyman’

Videogame Review: ‘The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’

Shia LaBeouf: ‘I fell in love with Christ’ to portray Padre Pio on screen

Movie Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’

| En español |

Expertos esperan avances en salud, discapacidad y ministerio hispano en la reunión de junio de los obispos de EE.UU.

La comunidad católica de Uvalde marca doloroso aniversario con Misa y oración

Una encuesta revela que la mayoría de los estadounidenses ‘rara vez’ o ‘nunca’ asiste a servicios religiosos

Defensores católicos de la migración piden una política justa al expirar el Título 42

¿Qué se espera con el fin del Título 42?

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Nevada’s Catholic governor who campaigned as ‘pro-life’ signs some abortion protections into law
  • Pope names Cardinal Farrell next head of Vatican City high court
  • Senate approves House-passed debt ceiling deal, avoiding default
  • Profit-at-all-costs is not a good business model, pope says
  • Farewell and thank you
  • ‘God’s Scribe’: Father Breighner retires popular column after more than 50 years
  • Expertos esperan avances en salud, discapacidad y ministerio hispano en la reunión de junio de los obispos de EE.UU.
  • Experts hope for progress on health care, disability ministry and Hispanic Catholics at U.S. bishops’ June meeting
  • Movie Review: ‘Padre Pio’

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED