It’s not uncommon for movies to be based in reality. Real-life events and people have inspired countless movies over the decades, including hits like Schindler’s List, Erin Brockovich, and more recently Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer. A “based on a true story” movie that hit theaters in 2023 was one of the wildest stories yet, and it just found a new streaming home.
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Peacock has added dozens of new titles this October, and on October 14th, Elizabeth Banks’s 2023 comedy horror film Cocaine Bear joined the list of streaming titles on the NBCUniversal streamer. The absurd movie is based on the true incident of an American black bear that ingested several kilograms of cocaine dropped from a plane by drug smugglers in 1985. Where the film differs from reality is that the bear lives and embarks on a cocaine-fueled murderous rampage in a small Georgia town, leaving a high body count in its wake.
Cocaine Bear Is a Wildly Fun Movie
Cocaine Bear doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it absolutely delivers as a hilarious leave-your-brain-at-home B-movie. The film embraces its outrageousness to transform a true story into an over-the-top gory adventure about a cocaine-crazed bear and the unfortunate humans trying to escape it. The movie delivers what it promises and doesn’t disappointment, leaving audiences both laughing and screaming as it balances the bloody carnage the bear leaves in its wake with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments.
The campy nature of the film helps make it pure dumb fun and an easy film to rewatch and still enjoy. Cocaine Bear, which grossed $90 million against a production budget of $30–35 million, also benefits from an ensemble cast that fully commit to the ridiculous premise, including Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Ray Liotta in one of his final roles, as well as a killer score and nostalgia-ridden ‘80s creature feature. The movie was generally well-received by critics and audience members alike, and holds a 65% critic score and 71% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie was such a success that Banks revealed while speaking to People in 2024 that she would be “open” to returning for a sequel, though a Cocaine Bear 2 isn’t currently in the works.
New Movies on Peacock
Peacock has dozens of new streaming options for movie lovers. Ever month the NBCUnviersal streamer unleashes a long list of fresh titles, and the majority of October’s new additions started streaming on October 1st. Peacock subscriber can now press play on movies including Event Horizon, Friday Night Lights, Hot Fuzz, and Jason Bourne.
Peacock also made several horror additions already this month in celebration of Halloween, with films such as Friday The 13th, Fright Night, The Mist, and The Omen (1976) now streaming alongside Cocaine Bear.
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