Hundreds of Beavers

• Directed by Mike Cheslik
• September 29, 2022 (Fantastic Fest) / April 15, 2024 (VOD)

An applejack maker comes into conflict with beavers while trying to win the hand of a local merchant’s daughter.

Hundreds of Beavers is something I checked out because I was seeing stories about it and in general it pop up in one form or another on my social media feed. I understand that’s because somehow I tripped an algorithm but it looked weird enough to appeal to me so I broke down and watched.

There is a lot of green screen mixed with what looks like real outdoor footage. The creative minds behind Hundreds of Beavers worked very hard to give this an old black-and-white cartoon vibe if not that of silent slapstick comedies. In that regard it works very well. There is a modern edge to much of the humor but at its core it draws inspiration from those old classic comedies.

The applejack maker Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) engages in much cartoon logic with obvious acknowledgements of the classic Warner Bros. films that get the occasional modern twist such as the sexy snow bunnies meant to trick the male rabbits who turned out to be a couple. A favorite joke of mine was the coonskin cap made from the costume head of a raccoon. Nothing though is inappropriate allowing you to watch it with the whole family or by yourself.

The animal characters in this are just people in costumes. Those consist of dogs, rabbits, and the titular beavers. No CGI characters. Not only is it a cost-saving measure but was the correct move from a comedic standpoint. It worked with the vibe and aesthetic they clearly aimed for. I’m not sure what else they  could have gone with, but whatever else it would hve been the wrong decision. 

I can’t think of a single word that was said in this entire movie. I never took notice of the silence while watching Hundreds of Beavers. At most you get grunts making this movie accessible to anyone in any language so long as they can read whatever text is necessary on the screen. In this day and age we are accustomed to sound. Achieving anything even remotely watchable without dialogue is a credit to the filmmakers.

Hundreds of Beavers is a live action cartoon and it does that much better than other efforts I have seen. Films like The Villain have tried that with varying degrees of success. Perhaps it is the lack of dialogue or the clear and consistent aversion to reality in this film that allows the silly to blend seamlessly with the grounded.

If I had anything to say negatively about the movie it is I feel it was a short film idea stretched out into a longer movie. Or a few shorter films edited into one. There are some distinct arcs in this that are completed before moving on to the next section. I would have liked one distinct storyline.

Hundreds or Beavers is cute and has some funny moments. This isn’t the laugh riot that many have stated it is but it’s entertaining and will appeal to a very niche audience. Proceed with a little bit of caution but I don’t think you should avoid.