Black Bear

At a secluded lakeside house in the Adirondacks, a couple invites a visiting filmmaker to spend a weekend with them, hoping to spark something for her next project. The visitors bring different appetites and ambitions, and what begins as a casual exchange soon tightens into a silent contest where attraction becomes leverage. The trio tests limits, peels back facades, and negotiates affection, money, and reputation, all while the line between art and performance grows murky. As their conversations turn increasingly pointed, the group realizes that every charm and compliment carries a hidden motive. The situation tightens around them, making safety and certainty feel like prizes they may never win.

Directed by Lawrence Michael Levine, Black Bear is an original drama thriller not adapted from another work. It stars Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon and was released in 2020.

Box office numbers for Black Bear were not widely reported, reflecting its limited indie release. The film found audiences primarily through festival circuits and streaming, rather than a large commercial run.

Critics note the film for its tense mood and layered performances, especially Plaza's, and for its provocative meditation on desire, manipulation, and the permeable boundary between life and art. The reception centers on how the film makes spectators question motives and truth.