COCAINE BEAR (2023) • 7/10: Cocaine bear was a pleasant surprise for a horror comedy. There were some great casting choices with familiar faces such as Ray Liotta (RIP), Kerry Russell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Margo Martindale. When you see the trailer, it raises the question, “how much mileage can you get out of horror/comedy elements in a bear doing cocaine?” Thankfully, this movie delivers in its outrageous scenarios and several sub-plots seamlessly converging. Each side story was as good as the next and everyone’s story got told in a well thought out story line. The gore was classic cheesy 80’s horror in timing and style while the special effects were up to date realistic. Another big concern with beast-horror is CGI and how to insert your creature into the real world. It’s not always a perfect transition throughout, but it doesn’t take you out of the campy fun of the film. The kills and carnage is surprisingly innovative considering the limitations of bear claws. It does try to sprinkle in a few jump scares and suspense scenes that are pretty much useless with the huge comedic overtone. It’s definitely a bit of a grey area genre-wise for those reasons. But if you go in with no expectations in that regard and just enjoy the ride, it’s a very enthralling experience. We give it a seven out of ten on a horror skill, but make no mistake that we would definitely love to own a copy of this and watch again with friends. Elizabeth Banks did a killer job. 🐻🪂🚑 • #afrightfuleve #kkreaper #lunareaper #horrornews #horrorreviews #cocainebear (at Cinemark Hazlet 12) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpGQyXdph17/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=