Bears have long fascinated filmmakers and audiences alike, often serving as the centerpiece in compelling narratives. Whether through animated tales for children or intense survival dramas for adults, films about bears capture themes of brutality, beauty, and often, unexpected gentleness. Here are some films featuring this majestic creature:
“The Bear”, 2022
Director: Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Ramy Youssef
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, this adventure film tells the story of an orphaned bear cub who befriends an adult male bear as they try to survive hunters in the wilderness.
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Liza Colón-Zayas, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliott, Matty Matheson, Edwin Lee Gibson, Corey Hendrix, Richard Esteras;
Production year: 2022;
Genre: drama, comedy;
Rating: IMDB: 8,6;
More information about the film “The Bear” on the website imdb.com
“Brother Bear”, 2003
Director: Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker
In this Disney animated feature, a young man is transformed into a bear to see the world from a different perspective and learns crucial life lessons about the ties that bind all living creatures.
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jeremy Suarez, Jason Raize, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas, D.B. Sweeney, Joan Copeland, Michael Clarke Duncan, Harold Gould, Paul Christie;
Production year: 2003;
Genre: animation, musical, fantasy, drama, comedy, adventure, family;
MPAA rating: g;
Duration: 82 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 6,9;
More information about the film “Brother Bear” on the website imdb.com
“Paddington”, 2014
Director: Paul King
A delightful family comedy film where a young, polite bear from the jungles of Peru finds himself lost and alone in London until he meets the kindly Brown family.
Starring: Ben Whishaw, Nicole Kidman, Imelda Staunton, Sally Hawkins, Michael Gambon, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Samuel Joslin, Tim Downie;
Production year: 2014;
Genre: comedy, family, adventure, fantasy;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 95 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
“Paddington 2”, 2017
Director: Paul King
The sequel to “Paddington,” this film follows Paddington as he takes on odd jobs to buy the perfect gift for his Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday, only for the gift to be stolen.
Starring: Ben Whishaw, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Grant, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, Julie Walters, Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi;
Production year: 2017;
Genre: fantasy, comedy, family;
MPAA rating: pg;
Duration: 103 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,8;
“Brigsby Bear”, 2017
Director: Dave McCary
This comic drama features a man obsessed with a children's television program featuring Brigsby Bear. When the show abruptly ends, he sets out to finish the story himself and learns about the realities of the world along the way.
Starring: Kyle Mooney, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Matt Walsh, Michaela Watkins, Claire Danes, Ryan Simpkins, Greg Kinnear, Mark Hamill, Alexa Demie, Beck Bennett;
Production year: 2017;
Genre: drama, comedy;
MPAA rating: pg13;
Duration: 97 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,3;
More information about the film “Brigsby Bear” on the website imdb.com
“Grizzly Man”, 2005
Director: Werner Herzog
Directed by Werner Herzog, this documentary examines the life and tragic death of bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell, who spent thirteen summers living with wild bears in Alaska.
Starring: Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter, Val Dexter, Sam Egli, Franc G. Fallico, Willy Fulton, Marc Gaede, Marnie Gaede, Sven Haakanson Jr., Amie Huguenard;
Production year: 2005;
Genre: documentary, biography;
MPAA rating: r;
Duration: 103 min.;
Rating: IMDB: 7,8;
More information about the film “Grizzly Man” on the website imdb.com
These films, while diverse in genre and tone, all showcase bears in roles that are central to the narrative, impacting and being impacted by the human characters and the world around them.
In conclusion, the range of cinematic representations of bears—from the heartfelt and nurturing Baloo in “The Jungle Book,” to the thrilling and intense survival battle in “The Revenant,” and even the comically poignant journey of Paddington—proves that these creatures are more than just subjects of natural intrigue. Bears in film often serve a higher purpose, offering audiences a mirror to reflect on their own humanity, a touchpoint for socio-environmental discourse, and a source of universal entertainment. Whether animated or painstakingly portrayed through state-of-the-art animatronics and computer-generated imagery, these films about bears have left indelible paw prints on the landscape of cinema, showing that the stories we weave around this majestic fauna are as diverse and complex as nature itself.
