Cocaine Bear: Who Dies and Who Survives in the Film?

Cocaine Bear is a gruesome and violent movie that earns R rating with the 11 deaths that occur throughout. Elizabeth Banks directs the film, which is loosely inspired by real events from 1985, and Jimmy Warden wrote the screenplay. 

The movie was released in theaters on February 24 and received generally favorable reviews. Warden has expressed interest in developing sequels if Universal approves. 

In Cocaine Bear, the titular character is a central figure, but the plot involves numerous human characters. Although the action-comedy features several survivors, there are also a significant number of fatalities. 

While the Cocaine Bear does go on violent rampages throughout the film, not every kill can be attributed to the drugged animal. There are instances when the human characters, some of whom are armed with guns, are responsible for a substantial portion of the deaths. 

Along with the Cocaine Bear’s ruthless hunting, the body count keeps increasing, leading up to one of the most significant character deaths at the end. The major deaths in the film include that of Syd Dentwood, Beth and Tom the Paramedics, Liz the Park Ranger, Peter the Wildlife Inspector, Ponytail, Detective Bob, Olaf, Elsa, Andrew C. Thornton and Vest. 

At the outset of the movie, the premise appears to be a simple one: a bear gets hooked on cocaine and goes on a murderous rampage. However, the situation is more complex than it initially seems. 

The cocaine in question originates from a plane that crashed in 1985, causing the drugs to be scattered in the surrounding area. The illegal substance belonged to a notorious criminal named Syd, who dispatches his henchman, Daveed, and his irresponsible son, Eddie, to Georgia to retrieve it.

Simultaneously, a police detective named Bob and his colleague Reba embark on their quest to find the lost cocaine. Meanwhile, a nurse named Sari experiences a tragedy when her daughter, Dee Dee, disappears in the woods where the drugs are located. 

Additionally, there are foreign tourists, park rangers named Liz and Peter, a couple of EMTs, and a local vagrant named Stache, all of whom are part of a surprisingly large ensemble cast that the bear starts eliminating one by one in brutal and gruesome ways.

In Cocaine Bear, the deaths occur very early on, with several characters being mutilated or dismembered before the story’s climax. Among the victims is one of the foreign vacationers, and both EMTs suffer severe injuries. 

Peter, the park ranger, is also attacked, and even Bob, the police detective, meets his demise, albeit not at the bear’s hands. Instead, he is shot by Syd during a confrontation over the missing drugs.

After Bob’s death, the film’s climax kicks off when Eddie and Daveed confront Syd, who is threatening to harm Reba. Reba’s appearance in the woods is delayed until the third act, and it’s revealed that she has been collaborating with Syd all along. Eddie, grieving the loss of his wife, decides to abandon their mission and assist the children in the woods.

The bear takes Dee Dee and brings her to its den, along with the cocaine. Syd, unable to let go of his precious drugs, attempts to retrieve them and is brutally injured by the bear. Daveed almost loses his life in the ensuing brawl, but Sari intervenes and saves him. They successfully rescue Dee Dee and exit the woods, leaving the cocaine and the bear behind.

After Syd’s death, Eddie decides to turn over a new leaf and become a better father to his young son, who was previously under Syd’s care. Meanwhile, Sari and Dee Dee develop a strong bond as mother and daughter.

The film has two post-credits scenes. In the first, it is revealed that a dog has been gnawing on Daveed’s fingers, which Syd had previously shot off. In the second, Stache discovers a duffel bag filled with cocaine and decides to keep it for himself. Although many characters survived the bear’s attack, there’s no telling when she might strike again.

About Cocaine Bear

Cocaine Bear is an upcoming American dark comedy thriller film directed and co-produced by Elizabeth Banks from a screenplay by Jimmy Warden. It is inspired by the true story of the “Cocaine Bear”, an American black bear that ingested a duffel bag full of cocaine in 1985.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery-Jennings, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kristofer Hivju, Hannah Hoekstra, Aaron Holliday, Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta in one of his final performances before his death. 

Cocaine Bear is scheduled to be released in the United States on February 24, 2023, by Universal Pictures.