Hundreds Of Beavers (2024)

By: Mike Ward on Wednesday, November 13

NR Running Time: 108 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • Set in the 19th century, this is a black-and-white, mostly silent, slapstick comedy featuring a man being chased after by people wearing ill-fitting beaver mascot costumes.

  • This has already amassed a major cult following and likely will retain that status for years to come.

  • Goofy, silly, carefree, and the type of renegade, go-for-broke filmmaking we simply do not get enough of nowadays.

NO

  • This movie is funny for 30-45 minutes, amusing for 70-75 minutes, and almost grating at 108 minutes.

  • A black-and-white, mostly silent, slapstick comedy featuring a man being chased after by people wearing ill-fitting beaver mascot costumes. Did I mention it’s available on Tubi?

  • My wife watched five minutes of this and sighed and left the room. Though the movie has its fans and devotees, this is for a very specific audience.


OUR REVIEW

Wild, whimsical, and witty, Hundreds of Beavers is a groundbreaking work of art that is precocious and fun, until it overstays its welcome and becomes something you probably want to end sooner, rather than later. Largely modeled after a silent film, this black-and-white, mostly dialogue-free movie tells the story of Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews), an applejack salesman in the 19th century, who finds himself under duress as he tries to survive a harsh winter after seeing his business literally go up in flames.

Desperate to survive, Kayak battles pesky rabbits, hundreds of beavers, and eventually attempts to win the love of a furrier (Olivia Graves), who happens to be the daughter of a sinister merchant (Doug Mancheski).

I am thrilled a movie like this exists. For a budget of around $150,000, director Mike Cheslik has created a potential cult classic that cinephiles will likely be talking about for years to come. That doesn’t mean it needs to run 108 minutes though. And part of what undoes the novelty of Hundreds of Beavers is that it stretches its unique approach to the point of exhaustion. 

Still, a movie of villainous beavers, consisting of actors running around in beaver mascot suits, using old-fashioned slapstick and pratfalls is unlike anything audiences have ever really seen. For better or worse, the movie has found an audience, earning a second trip into theaters in the fall of 2024.

If you’re curious, dive in. The movie’s unconventional distribution model has found it available for free on the Tubi platform, while available to rent elsewhere on VOD and playing repeatedly in limited art house theaters around the country.

Look folks - love what you love. Enjoy what you enjoy. How long you can endure Cheslik’s unique brand of humor is seemingly most of the fun. I wish it was a short film. You may feel otherwise. Nonetheless, Hundreds of Beavers is truly unique and a true labor of love for all involved.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Olivia Graves, Doug Mancheski, Wes Tank, Luis Rico, Mike Wesolowski

Director: Mike Cheslik
Written by: Mike Cheslik, Ryland Brickson Cole Tews
Release Date: January 26, 2024
SRH