“Cocaine Bear,” directed by Elizabeth Banks, came with the misconception of it being a low quality film not worth watching, but it is much more entertaining than people would expect. 

The film currently has a 6.8 out of 10 rating according to RottenTomatoes, but a higher rating would be more fitting. The movie also has some notable actors such as O’Shea Jackson Jr. and Jesse Tyler Ferguson. 

Based on a true story, “Cocaine Bear” is about a drug dealer who was carrying hundreds of pounds of cocaine on an aircraft and tossed a great sum out of the plane to get police off of his trail. This caused a brown bear in Chattahoochee National Forest to ingest cocaine and die shortly after. 

In this creative twist of the true story, the cocaine causes the bear to go on a rampage and terrorize the entire forest.

Before going to the theater, I was expecting to regret watching the film, but the constant advertisements convinced me to give the movie a shot. The movie was unexpectedly intriguing with hysterical moments that caused laughter throughout the film contrasted with gory scenes that sent stomachs twisting. 

There are many bloody scenes including gun violence and the expected casualties from an enraged bear. One surprising scene was when the bear rambles up a forest tree to rip apart the limbs of a park employee. 

This is the first scene where horror is implemented. The movie from that point on has you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what the bear will do next. 

Although it is a relatively short movie, only lasting about 95 minutes, there are no dull moments. From the opening scene, it is evident that this will be an action-packed film. 

The movie may not be in the running for any great achievements, but the overall production still gives the film a fighting chance for some sort of recognition. In no part during the movie did I think that there was a clear discrepancy between other films that were considered Grammy award nominees.

Before watching “Cocaine Bear,” it would be best to go in knowing this is not a very serious movie. The movie did not have the most captivating storyline, but the directors did an exceptional job with the plot they were given.

Rating: 3.9 out of 5