In 1985, a motley assortment of people descend on Georgia’s Chattahoochee–Oconee National Forest. Some of them have rather wholesome reasons for going (wanting to paint a waterfall or hike) while others have a more nefarious purpose (retrieving the cocaine shipment that went down there in a plane crash). What none of them could anticipate is that a black bear has consumed the cocaine and is on an aggressive drug-fueled rampage. What could possibly go wrong?
Thanks to Brendon for recommending the movie to me! Brendon is one of our patrons, and he was a good sport when the library staff noticed he was checking out this movie earlier this summer and demanded he report back on whether it was worth watching. His verdict (which I agree with) is that it’s a really fun summer movie.
A big part of the movie’s charm is that it is fully aware of how ridiculous the premise is, though it is loosely based on a true story, and just leans into it, with a wry sense of humor. A lot of scenes and lines made me laugh out loud. The cast also seems to be having a lot of fun with their characters, who could easily fit in on a Coen Brothers movie set, and it’s a great cast. Everyone from Margo Martindale to Keri Russell to Ray Liotta (in one of his final movies) pops up. If you’re a TV fan, you’ll also see other familiar faces from shows as varied as The Wire and Game of Thrones.
This movie isn’t for the faint of heart (or weak of stomach), but it’s a great flick for fans of horror comedies. I see it as more of a comedy that happens to have horror elements than a horror movie that happens to have comedic elements, but some of the bear scenes are pretty intense, and there was at least one jump-scare that completely startled me.
The best litmus test on whether or not you’ll enjoy this movie is probably your reaction to the plot description coked-up bear goes on a rampage. If this makes you roll your eyes, you are not the intended audience for this movie and can safely pass. But if you’re intrigued and want to see more, what are you waiting for?!
Have you watched this movie? Are you a fan of horror comedies? What’s your favorite movie from this year? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on this item or to place it on hold.
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