The drug-addled predator of Cocaine Bear isn’t just a one-note gimmick meant to get butts in movie theater seats.

According to the first reactions on Twitter, director Elizabeth Banks‘s absolutely bonkers comedy-thriller (in theaters everywhere this Friday) is one of the best movies of the year so far. Rafael Motamayor called the release a "slasher movie, but with a bear." Vantacreates went even further, proclaiming it to be "Final Destination, but with a coked-out bear."

Who knows? Maybe we will get a "Cocaine Shark" sequel after all!

RELATED: Elizabeth Banks explains how ‘Evil Dead’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ influenced ‘Cocaine Bear’

Loosely based on an actual incident where an unfortunate American black bear accidentally overdosed on cocaine ditched by a smuggler in the 1980s, the film (written by The Babysitter scribe, Jimmy Warden, and produced by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘s Philip Lord and Christopher Miller ) imagines a much deadlier outcome in which the bear went on a powdery rampage.

The star of the show is, of course, the berserker bear, but it doesn’t hurt to have a stacked cast of talented human fodder: Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kristofer Hivju, Hannah Hoekstra, Aaron Holliday, Margo Martindale, and the late Ray Liotta.

Head below to see the early buzz:

There is a whole weird world that #CocaineBear is set in that isn’t even hinted at in the trailer.

Entirely too much shit going on beyond the bear, which in hindsight kinda makes perfect sense. A crazed tableau.

I’m happy a character calls the bear “Cocaine Bear” in the film.

— Phil Nobile Jr. (@PhilNobileJr)

This movie is only 95 minutes but it somehow keeps adding more characters and giving us insight into more corners of this world every 10 minutes or so, without ever feeling overstuffed.

— Rafael “I’m tired” Motamayor (@RafaelMotamayor)

#CocaineBear is WILD

Super scary 🫣 and super funny! 😂

A total 80s slasher flick – but with a bear!!!

Never lets up – and so many great actors! Tormund from GoT is in this!

Review embargo lifts Thursday pic.twitter.com/hwAJSwaJz5

— Grace Randolph (@GraceRandolph)

Ok the embargo is up on #CocaineBear

It is my favorite movie of the year. The funniest I have seen in like, 2 years and such a blast. Very Lord & Miller.

If the theater experience is anything like my screening, you will have an amazing time in the theaters with this pic.twitter.com/HlRkVCOOd8

— Kenjac (@JackKennedy)

#CocaineBear: picture in your mind what a film about a bear on cocaine would be like. That’s what this is.

Actually felt the classic comedy bits (punchlines, etc.) were better than the bear stuff, which speaks to just how traditionally funny this movie can be at times. pic.twitter.com/YfPxqbU8gy

— Eric Italiano (@ericitaIiano)

#CocaineBear was absolutely hilarious. I can’t give my entire review until the 23rd, but think final destination, but with a coked out bear. Loved it! 8/10!

— vantacreates (@vantacreates)

#CocaineBear is the best comedy of 2023 so far, full tilt gory zaniness counter programming we left behind in the 90’s come back to life. Kinda wastes its casts but Margo Martindale MVP. The ambulance set piece is an all timer for horror hounds! pic.twitter.com/ue4NbSJ4wp

— Chris (@ItsChrisAguilar)

COCAINE BEAR offers what one expects from it: an absolutely INSANE bear wreaking gory, bloody havoc while also doing the stupidest things imaginable. A totally nonsensical yet extremely entertaining time where nothing else matters besides the bear who did cocaine. #CocaineBear pic.twitter.com/j4mn28WJqH

— MSB (@msbreviews)

Cocaine Bear sinks its (very sharp) teeth into theaters everywhere this Friday, Feb. 24.

Looking for more creature-based thrills in the meantime? Jordan Peele’s Nope is currently streaming on Peacock.

The Ark