“Cocaine Bear” is a movie about a black bear who eats not only cocaine but also people. The movie follows the main characters who each have their reasons to be in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. From serving justice to finding family, each character brings their background and life to the table. It was directed by Elizabeth Banks, written by Jimmy Warden, and released by Universal Pictures. The film had a 30-35 million dollar budget, but according to the-numbers.com it has already grossed 57 million dollars worldwide. 

“Cocaine Bear” is loosely based on a true story. Andrew Thornton II had just dumped duffel bags of cocaine off his plane. He jumped out of the plane and because of a faulty parachute, he fell to his death. The bear came across one of these duffel bags and consumed the contents. The bear’s stomach was “packed to the brim” with cocaine. It was estimated that the bear ate up to 15 million dollars worth of cocaine. A taxidermist preserved the bear. The newly-stuffed bear has been lost, bought, gifted, auctioned, and traded. The bear, nicknamed Pablo Escobear or Cokey the Bear, now resides in the Kentucky Fun Mall. Unlike in the movie, the bear did not come across any people and likely died within minutes of consuming the illegal drugs.

The reviews of this movie are very mixed. Some critics are saying that this movie is amazing and others are saying that the movie is terrible. “Cocaine Bear” isn’t meant to be taken seriously. It is a silly movie that looks incredibly realistic. The CGI was done by Wētā FX who also worked on films like “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “The Last of Us.” They also animated certain characters like Gollum from “The Lord of The Rings” and Thanos from the MCU.

Junior Aidan Pham enjoyed watching it in theaters. “I thought the movie was great,” he says. “It was funny and I found out it was based on a true story which made it even better.”

“Cocaine Bear” is a very interesting movie, and its fluctuating reviews and opinions make this crazy film worth the watch.