• Release year: 2022
• Director: Mike Cheslik.
• Producers: Sam Hogerton, Kurt Ravenwood, Matt Sabljak and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews.
• Screenplay by: Mike Cheslik and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews.
• Cinematographer: Quinn Hester.
• Music by: Chris Ryan.

Shotgun Commentary: if you ever wished for life to imitate Looney Tunes (1930-1969) and not the other way around, this is as close as you can you get to seeing that wish fulfilled.

Review

Hundreds of Beavers is very likely the most random film of 2022. It follows the adventures of Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews), a drunken alcohol salesman whose business explodes due to his drunken shenanigans. As a result…maybe, he finds himself in a frozen territory in which he will need to learn how to survive. His numerous failures and seldom successes are the comedic force that drives the film.

One of a kind

First things first, the film is strange. Not strange as in “what am I watching?”, what you are watching is very clear. It is strange as in “who thought to do this and why are they so wise?”. The whole feature is a gorgeous display of imagination and cheek. The humour ranges from simple, to visual and discreet, to pure and loud insanity.

Looney roots

The first impression the story gives is Looney Tunes, art imitating art. There are lots of non-textual jokes, and the narrative of the first act feels like one of those Warner Bros. multi-story episodes that start with the bunny and the hunter, continues with Coyote’s chaotic plans to catch the Road Runner, and ends with Tweety and Silvester.

However, just when you start thinking that the movie will not go further than a live-action version of that, some dashes of Happy Tree Friends (1999-present), a few popular references, plus a lot of original humour, turn the experience around. The second and third acts tell their own plots and, while everything happens within the same account, they work as individual short tales too.

Back to the 20s…1920, that is

Along with the humour, the aesthetics are what defines Hundreds of Beavers for the unique work that it is. The black and white, the intertitles, the burn marks… All of it gives you the impression of being a spectator to the first B-movie of history.

The naivety that it exudes, only enhanced by the very clearly homemade special effects, gives the narrative permission to go as dark as it wants while maintaining that innocent, carefree mood. And dark it goes, testing the limits and making any event seem funny, even if it would horrify or nauseate you in a horror film with another context.

Two editing decisions stand out: the animation for action scenes and the sound effects. The first reminds of WeWereMonkeys’ Little Talks video clip (2011) for the band Monsters and Men. The cutouts and moving landscapes interact with live-action characters in a fascinating way that makes the action scenes a lot more interesting to watch, not only as amusement but also as a great technical composition that adds value to the events that take place. As for the second one, it is vital in a silent comedy that the sounds that get to the audience are chosen for a reason, that they bring meaning or, in this case, laughter, and so they do.

The same applies to the characters. The lack of dialogues puts the weight of the narrative on their facial expressions and body language. It is not as easy as it looks, and yet the delivery is spot on. Tews is hilarious in his role of Jean Kayak, super expressive yet not annoyingly overacted. The rest of the cast follow his lead effortlessly, providing the finishing touches to a work overflown with creativity and singularity.

All in all, I did not expect what I saw, but I am very glad about what I got. Hundreds of Beavers is charming, eccentric and one hell of a good time!

Advice to take from this movie:

• Don’t mess with the beavers.
• Beware the fish, they are way more sinister than they look.
• 7 beavers and 1 bunny equals shotgun.

What’s your take? Have you watched Hundreds of Beavers? What’s your favourite beaver-themed movie? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀

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