Movie Review: Hundreds of Beavers

Every now and then a movie comes along for which its sheer existence defies all belief. Mike Cheslik and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews’ Hundreds of Beavers is one such film. Shot in black and white and largely devoid of dialogue, it’s supremely silly, unashamedly odd, and simultaneously one of the dumbest and smartest comedies in years.

A 19th century applejack salesman named Jean Kayak (Tews) is introduced via an opening number extolling his popular potent potable and seen becoming increasingly intoxicated on his own supply. Some nearby beavers (portrayed by people in beaver costumes, as nearly all animals in the film are) take an interest in his enormous wooden kegs and manage to destroy his farm to obtain them. As a result, Jean finds himself alone and without shelter in the harsh Winter climate of Wisconsin / Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Desperately hungry, he sets about trying to catch a variety of animals with little success before encountering The Merchant (Doug Mancheski), who lives in a cabin with his daughter The Furrier (Olivia Graves). The Master Fur Trapper (Wes Tank) arrives and sells a host of animal pelts before heading back into the woods, and Kayak sets about trying to better survive in the wild, also encountering The Indian Fur Trapper (Luis Rico). With the occasional help of the others he gradually improves and sets his sights on an engagement ring that he can gift The Furrier, but in the process a pair of beaver detectives (you read that right) come to suspect him in several recent animal murders, and set in motion a plan to bring him to justice.

Yes, this movie is completely insane. Even more than it sounds.

Budgetary restrictions mean the filmmakers have to blend the live action with animation to pull off their vision, but the end result is visually striking and uniquely charming and looks like it cost a lot more than it did. The story is almost completely comprised of clever sight gags and violent slapstick that pays homage to everything from Charlie Chaplin and The Three Stooges to classic Looney Toons adventures and Blake Edwards, with director Cheslik showing a masterful understanding of the rhythms and visuals that make the material work. Tews excels in the lead role, clearly having a ball contorting his face into the exaggerated reactions it calls for, and the entire cast is on point throughout as well. Around an hour into the movie it almost begins to feel like the whole conceit has run its course, but then it launches into a finale sequence that is so flawlessly executed and unbelievably over-the-top that it elevates this already great movie into all-time classic territory. I still can’t believe this movie exists, but I’m dam glad that it does. And I almost can’t believe I would do this for a movie named and ostensibly about Hundreds of Beavers, but: ★★★★★