JP Nunez
I have to be honest, this just might be the most daunting review I’ve ever had to write. Hundreds of Beavers is so utterly absurd (in a good way!) I don’t think mere words could ever do it justice, so the only way to really understand what it’s like is to just watch it for yourself. But I’ll try my best, so here goes nothing.
Hundreds of Beavers was directed and co-written by Mike Cheslik, and it stars Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Olivia Graves, Wes Tank, Doug Mancheski, and Lou Rico. When the movie begins, our main character, a man named Jean Kayak, is stranded in the snowy wilderness, and he desperately wants to find something to eat. However, the poor guy can’t seem to catch anything, and even when he does, an obnoxious bird just comes along and ruins his meal.
Fortunately, his string of bad luck eventually ends, and he really starts to learn the ropes when he teams up with an experienced fur trapper who shows him how to catch animals like rabbits and beavers. Soon enough, Jean becomes an expert fur trapper himself, and the film ends with a wild, you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it confrontation between him and the titular rodents.
But truth be told, Hundreds of Beavers isn’t really about the plot. Sure, the film has one, but it’s really just an excuse to showcase a bunch of cartoon-esque slapstick comedy. Seriously, this movie is basically live-action Looney Tunes for adults. To take just a few examples, there are a couple of times when you literally see a ring of stars circle around the head of a character who got hit really hard, and the way Jean’s prey consistently evades him in the first act of the film is very reminiscent of the dynamic between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner.
What’s more, even some of the more technical aspects of Hundreds of Beavers contribute to that cartoonish tone. For instance, there are a lot of animals in this movie, but none of them are real. They’re all either puppets, people in costumes, or hand-drawn animations, and they look super fake. Now, if this was just about any other movie, those effects would probably be really distracting. It would almost be like bad CGI on steroids, but here, it feels perfectly natural. Since this entire film is so outlandish, the unrealistic-looking animals fit right in.
Along similar lines, Hundreds of Beavers is shot in black and white, and the characters almost never talk. It’s not exactly a silent movie, as we do hear things like screams, laughter, and the normal sounds we’d expect to hear in the snowy wilderness, but it definitely feels like one. Even when the characters could talk, they almost always choose to communicate with body language, hand gestures, and indistinct grunts instead (although there are a few hilarious exceptions!), and again, that stylistic choice just adds to the absurdist, Looney Tunes-esque feel of the film.
All of that adds up to one hell of a viewing experience, so if you’re still a Bugs Bunny-loving kid at heart, you’re going to love this movie. It’s basically just 105 minutes (give or take) of bizarre slapstick comedy, and for the most part, it never gets old. However, there was one part of the film I wasn’t a huge fan of.
Around the midway point or so, after Jean parts ways with his mentor and tries his hand at some of the guy’s fur trapping techniques, Hundreds of Beavers does start to drag a little. It just feels like we’re watching the same thing over and over again, so the story gets stuck in a bit of a rut. But even then, there were still enough funny gags that I never checked out completely, so when the movie returned to form, I had no trouble getting back on board with it.
And once I did, it was all smooth sailing until the credits began to roll. In fact, the third act is the best part of this entire film. It’s when we finally get to see Jean go toe to toe with the titular rodent horde, and it takes the absurdity of the previous two acts to a whole new level. It goes beyond Looney Tunes and turns into something you truly need to see to believe, and it’s absolutely captivating.
There’s even a scene that has a bit of a horror vibe, and as a big fan of the genre myself, I really got a kick out of it. But if you’re not into horror, don’t worry, this scene isn’t even close to being scary. It just transposes a couple of typical horror tropes into a comedic key, so while it’s a little treat for people like me, you don’t need to be a horror fan to appreciate it.
If you couldn’t tell, I had an amazing time with Hundreds of Beavers, so I highly recommend that you give it a watch. Granted, the movie is definitely not for everyone, so if this doesn’t sound like something you’d enjoy, you should probably give it a pass. But if absurdist humor is your thing, this just might end up being your favorite comedy of the year. I know it’s only February, but the film is that good, so if you get a chance to watch it, you should make this a top cinematic priority.
Hundreds of Beavers has been on a theatrical tour of the United States since late January, so check out the complete list of screenings to see when it’ll be playing in a theater near you.
