Dark Discussions Podcast – Episode 570 - COCAINE BEAR (2023)

Dark Discussions Podcast

Long time actress and comedian Elizabeth Banks entered the directing ranks with PITCH PERFECT 2 (2015) followed by the reboot of CHARLIE’S ANGLES (2019). Both films received mixed reactions by audiences and also critics. Her latest COCAINE BEAR (2023) also has had mixed reactions from both critics and audiences alike however it has received some note for its very eclectic style.

When a drug smuggler drops a shipment of cocaine out of a flying airplane over the Georgia wilderness, he mistakenly knocks himself unconscious while disembarking the plane. The results leave a dead smuggler and bags of cocaine lost in the forest. Soon a group of nature lovers, forest rangers, European tourists, police officers, children playing hooky, St. Louis drug smugglers, a concerned mother, and a group of teenage criminals all ironically meet up in the state park only to find out that a local black bear has ingested some of the illegal substances and gone violently mad.

On her third try, Elizabeth Banks may have established herself as much of a director as she is an actress and comedian. The movie includes the final role of Ray Liotta (and it is dedicated to him). The film was released on February 24th, 2023 with a budget of $35M USD. The film has gone on to make $66.5M USD and earned itself a cult following. Your co-hosts take a look at this curious film and give their thoughts on what sounds like an absurd movie.