Cocaine Bear

Directed by Elizabeth Banks, Cocaine Bear follows an assortment of oddball figures, including Keri Russell’s Sari, Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Peter, and Ray Liotta’s Syd, as they attempt to steer clear of the bloodthirsty (and completely stoned) title animal. It’s an unusual (yet workable) premise that’s employed to mostly (and increasingly) tiresome effect by Banks, as the filmmaker, armed with Jimmy Warden’s screenplay, delivers a hit-and-miss endeavor that’s at its best in its relatively watchable opening stretch – with the appealing vibe perpetuated by several entertaining performances and an ongoing emphasis on ’80s-specific attributes (eg Mark Mothersbaugh’s synth-heavy score). There’s little doubt, then, that Cocaine Bear begins its slow-but-steady descent into irrelevance as it progresses into a meandering, underwhelming midsection, as Banks’ inability to maintain a consistent tone (ie the movie is neither funny enough to succeed as a comedy nor tense enough to succeed as a thriller) is compounded by the continuing mistreatment of the hapless bear (ie it’s just unpleasant, for the most part) – which, when coupled with a dimly-lit, virtually interminable third act, cements the picture’s place as a palpable failure that strikes so many wrong notes throughout.

* out of ****