Just 50 days after its theatrical release on Feb. 24, Cocaine Bear made its streaming debut on April 14. The film lit up the box office, beating expectations and grossing $85.4 million worldwide. So it certainly carries a lot of streaming potential. I mean, it's about a bear on a cocaine-fueled killing spree in the Chattahoochee National Forest — what's not to like?
More specifically, Cocaine Bear follows a group of cops, criminals, tourists, and school-skipping teens crossing paths in the forest after a plane flying over Georgia crashes. The plane happened to be loaded with cocaine and a black bear happened to be the one to come across it. Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards called the Cocaine Bear (aka Cokey) "a cinematic beast," although she had mixed feelings on the film in its entirety. If you want to see the bonkers plot unfold for yourself, get your popcorn ready. Here's what you need to know to watch the glorious fever dream that is Cocaine Bear from your couch.
Is Cocaine Bear based on a true story?
Cocaine Bear is loosely based on a true story. Yes, a bear did cocaine. No, it did not go on a killing spree. In real life, the bear overdosed and died shortly after. In 1985, as the Associated Press reported at the time(opens in a new tab), investigators were searching the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia for cocaine lost in a smuggling operation. During their search, they found the corpse of a 150-pound black bear with 40 shredded packages of cocaine.
Cocaine Bear imagines an alternate scenario where the bear not only lived after ingesting the drugs, but then went on a murderous spree through the forest. It blends horror and comedy seamlessly — after all, it is a bear on cocaine — and weaves some drama and high-octane thrills throughout.
Will Cocaine Bear be on Netflix?
Though Netflix has a massive catalog, including some based-on-a-true-story films(opens in a new tab), Universal Pictures has an exclusive deal with Peacock(opens in a new tab). Thus, that's where Cocaine Bear landed on April 14. Fortunately, Peacock is one of the most affordable streaming services, with plans starting at just $4.99 per month.
Can you watch Peacock for free?
Peacock is one of the rare streamers that has offered a free tier for viewers since its launch. Though the service has recently done away with the free tier for new customers, it's still available for existing customers. Also, if you subscribe to Peacock Premium for a month, then cancel your subscription, you'll be downgraded back to the free tier. So, although the free tier is no longer available, it's still available. More on that here. Unfortunately, in order to stream Cocaine Bear on Peacock, you'll have to subscribe to the Premium tier (at least for one month).
How to watch Cocaine Bear for free
As of April 14, the only way to legally stream Cocaine Bear is via Peacock Premium. It may appear on other streamers later on down the line, but for now, it's Peacock or bust. There are a few ways you can subscribe to Peacock Premium for free or at least at a discount, so listen up.
Are you an Xfinity customer? Good news — Peacock Premium is included for free(opens in a new tab) until June 26, 2023, for all Xfinity Flex customers and Xfinity X1 and video customers who have a subscription to Xfinity Internet or Digital Starter TV.
Spectrum TV customers can also score a free year of Peacock Premium(opens in a new tab), while Spectrum Internet customers can secure 90 days for free. This offer is good through December 7, 2023.
It may not be free, but if you opt for an annual subscription rather than a monthly subscription, you can save 67% using the code N2TEWDZZ at checkout. This drops the usual $49.99 subscription fee down to just $19.99(opens in a new tab). Be sure to check the terms and conditions to make sure you qualify for the discount.
Another option, albeit a more annoying one, is to sign up for a Macy's Star Rewards account(opens in a new tab) (don't worry — it's free) with your email, phone number, and birth date. Once you're signed up, turn on email and text notifications to retrieve a unique code and get a year of Peacock Premium for only $19.99 instead of $49.99. More details on that here.
Other ways to watch Cocaine Bear
For the anti-streaming crowd that doesn't mind paying for a film, Cocaine Bear is set to be released to Blu-ray on April 18, 2023 — just a few days after the Peacock release. It's also available to rent or buy on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, and Apple TV. It's $19.99 to rent the movie and $24.99 to buy it and stream it whenever you want. Here are your options.
Amazon Prime Video(opens in a new tab) — rent for $19.99, buy for $24.99
Vudu(opens in a new tab) — rent for $19.99, buy for $24.99
Redbox(opens in a new tab) — rent for $19.99, buy for $24.99
AppleTV(opens in a new tab) — rent for $19.99, buy for $24.99
Google Play(opens in a new tab) — rent for $19.99, buy for $24.99
