Cocaine Bear is a dark comedy film directed by Elizabeth Banks and based on a true story. The film follows the journey of a 500-pound black bear who accidentally ingests a large amount of cocaine dropped from a smuggler's airplane. The bear becomes frenzied and goes on a violent rampage across rural Georgia, causing chaos and destruction in its wake.
As a group of oddball characters, including cops, criminals, tourists, and teenagers, converge in the forest, they all become unwittingly entangled in the bear's fury. The characters include:
- Detective Peters, a veteran police officer who is haunted by an unsolved case and sees the bear as a chance for redemption.
- Zooey, a teenage runaway who is trying to escape her troubled past and stumbles upon the chaos in the forest.
- Henry, a bumbling drug dealer who accidentally dropped the cocaine and is desperate to find the bear and retrieve it.
- Ben, a tourist visiting the area with his family who becomes separated from them and must learn to fend for himself in the wilderness.
As the bear continues to wreak havoc, the characters' paths cross in unexpected ways. The film combines elements of comedy, action, and thriller as the characters navigate the dangerous situation and try to survive the bear's rampage.
Cocaine Bear explores themes of redemption, survival, and the human capacity for self-destruction. The film has a talented ensemble cast, including KJ Apa, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Jessie Buckley, and Ray Liotta. It is set to be released in 2022.