Right off the bat, living in the greater Knoxville, TN area and looking up the events the movie is based on, added extra enjoyment to this film for me. I'm very close to the Great Smoky Mountains, and we hear about bears getting into trash/cabins/cars all the time, so this basic concept is definitely not a stretch of the imagination!
After seeing the trailer, I walked in expecting gore and laughs, and got plenty of both. My face hurt when I left, from a solid hour and a half of giggling in the theater along with everyone else. There were cheesy one-liners for daaaaays, and such absurd characters/situations that it was a blast for me from start to finish. I've met people who are truly as ridiculous as some of these portrayals.
The setting is beautiful: one that's typically serene and considered an escape for most people. The glaring contradiction between what's expected in a national park versus what actually happens in this forest is fantastic. Relaxing hikes through the woods to enjoy scenic views turn into being dragged through the same forest, screaming as they're being ripped to pieces and disemboweled by a bear that's dangerous under normal circumstances, let alone on drugs.
There are even some cute, mildly light-hearted moments sprinkled throughout the movie to change gears. While there aren't a ton of deep dives into character building, I felt like we knew enough about them to understand their personalities and motivations, and enjoy their interactions with other people. The casting was on point, and I can't imagine anyone else in these roles.
When you add cute little furry animals to that (not just the huge cocaine snorting one), it covers all my bases for a fun, rainy day, comfort movie that I can't wait to watch again. Overall: beautiful setting, great humor, plenty of gore, and brilliant casting. I give it a solid 4.5/5!☠️💖
For another (and very different) take on this movie, give You Run Podcast's episode a listen! Just make sure you've seen it first, since there are spoilers!