Hundreds of Beavers (2022) – Review

Quick Thoughts – Grade – A – Hundreds of Beavers is one of the most visually exciting and creative independent films that I’ve seen in years. Director Mike Cheslik has created an instant cult classic and it would be great to see it build a bigger audience who can spread the word.

Shot over 12 weeks in Northern Wisconsin, Hundreds of Beavers tells the story of a hapless applejack salesman/fur trapper named Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) who goes on a quest to kill hundreds of beavers so he can marry the daughter of the local merchant. It’s 108 minutes of beautiful shenanigans that involves homemade catapults, errant spit, and tiny knives. Edited over the course of four years (1,500 effects shots + one editor = a lot of work), this slapstick gem is packed full of visual gags that never grow stale or predictable. A lot is thrown at the viewer, but the video game-esque narrative (a video game map tracks his travels) allows the audience to easily follow along as Jean gets better and better at killing beavers. It’s a wildly ambitious endeavor that works because it’s genuinely funny and inventive. A lot of work went into the production, and it’s hard to not respect the amount of determination to create a film that features a fur trapper fine tuning his snare traps so that the catapulted beavers aren’t eaten by scavenging raccoons before his love interest can skin them. 

I always hate using comparisons, but the movie plays like a  Wile E. Coyote/ Road Runner skit met Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and formed a comedic version of The Revenant. Basically, the cold setting, slapstick, and Beaver detectives blend together to create an experience that culminates with a sled chase that is reminiscent of the speeder bike chase in Return of the Jedi. It’s hard to tell where this movie is headed and that’s a good thing because everything builds to a wild climax that involves Buster Keaton-esque fake buildings, cabin fistfights, and a devilish trap inside a wolf den.

Cheslik and Brickson Cole Tews have been making short films together since they were in high school and their bond is the probably the only reason why this film exists because of the sheer amount of shots (and cold nights) and setups for a crowd-funded independent film could only be accomplished by two friends (and their friends who worked for very little money). The two wrote the film by drawing all the different ways beavers could get hurt on notecards, and then building the plot around a hero’s journey that’s easy to follow and allows the hero to kill many beavers. The two used long lenses in wide spaces to keep all the gags in the same frame, and only used six beaver costumes to create the hordes of beavers who are justifiably pissed at Jean for murdering their beaver friends. It’s a well thought out experience and Brickson Cole Tews succeeded in his goal of making  “something that was completely and utterly different than anything else anyone would ever try to pull off.”

Final thoughts – Watch it.