"Hundreds of Beavers": A Slapstick Sensation of 2024

The popularity of a certain film can easily define the culture of the year during which it was released or achieved massive recognition. This has been the case for numerous films during this decade so far, from the meme-generating releases of “Morbius” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru” back in 2022 to the same-day premieres of “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” back in 2023. These films have each left their mark on popular culture, cinematic masterpieces, or sometimes both.

This is especially true with “Hundreds of Beavers,” a film that became one the biggest cinematic highlights in 2024 with the massive following it earned that year from both critics and casual movie fans.

Directed by Mike Cheslik and written by and starring Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, “Hundreds of Beavers” is an Independent comedy developed with a budget of only $150,000. The film initially premiered back in 2022 as part of the Burnt Ends program at the Fantastic Fest in Austin,Texas. After that, it went on to screen at major film festivals such as the Fantasia Festival in Montreal, Canada, and the Sitges Film Festival in Spain ― gradually building a cult following.

Despite the critical praise it received at those events, the creators of the film believed that it deserved a much wider audience. According to producer Kurt Ravenwood as shared in an article for Variety, "We believed that, in order for a film like ours to have a fighting chance of getting out into the ecosystem, it needed to be in theaters for a while." 

So, determined to reach a broader audience, they decided to run the Great Lakes Roadshow in early 2024, in which the film made one-night screenings at various cinemas throughout the Great Lakes area. The tour lasted for twelve days, from January 26 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to February 10 in Toronto, Canada. The tour seemed to have paid off since, according to Ravenwood, the crew "sold out about 80% of those screenings"

This success may be partially due to the creative ways the crew presented the screenings for their attendees. In the article for Variety, Ravenwood fondly recalled the comedic antics that they performed for each screening, from Cheslik partaking in “a roast-style Q&A” session to co-writer and lead star Tews staging brawls against beavers amongst the audience.

The tour’s overwhelming success likely contributed to the film's growing reputation and acclaim. The film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 97% and currently holds over fifty thousand likes on Letterboxd. Critics on both sites praised the film's one-of-a-kind aesthetic, creative plethora of effects, and outrageous humor.

Another significant reason behind the film’s popularity might be the fact that it is available to stream for free on services such as Tubi, Roku, Freevee, and Pluto TV. The film is even available to watch for free on YouTube, where it has currently garnered over six thousand likes. This has made the film easily accessible to a broad audience, further fueling its widespread fame.

Set in the wilderness of the American Midwest back in the nineteenth century, the film follows the journey of Jean Kayak, who starts off as the slap-happy owner of a successful applejack cider business. His carefree existence is abruptly shattered, however, when a colossal mishap leads to the destruction of his apple orchards and business ― leaving him stranded in the wilderness during a harsh, cold winter. Throughout the course of the film, Kayak learns through trial and error to fend for himself and begin a new enterprise as a fur trapper who hunts down woodland critters such as rabbits, raccoons, and ― of course ― beavers.

The film can be best described as a cartoon converted seamlessly into live action. While the film passionately channels the Slapstick brilliance of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the absurdist humor and exaggerated gags feel straight out of a “Looney Tunes” short.

The film also provides clever homage to video games with some of its visual cues, from Kayak’s map of the environment to the bartering system established for the fur trade. The video game references especially fit well when it comes to Jean Kayak’s arc as the protagonist. At the start of the film, he struggles to survive the fierce winter, as well as the backwards logic and functions of the forest; over time, however, he manages to survive and master the woods through his gradual ingenuity, experience, and relentless determination.

Kayak’s growth from a reckless hooligan drunk on applejack to a true survivor of the wilderness is what defines him as an endearing protagonist for the film, and it is especially helped with Ryland Brickson Cole Tews’ charismatic and expressive performance in the role. All the other actors give it their all with their own roles, as well ― including Olivia Graves as the flirty furrier in love with Kayak; Doug Mancheski as her father, the disgruntled merchant; Luis Rico as the wise Native American fur trapper; and Wes Tank as the stoic master fur trapper.

This also applies to the actors who play certain woodland critters with mascot-like costumes; even without showing their faces, their movements and mannerisms evoke plenty of expression and energy into the animals they perform as. It is also intriguing to see these distinct animals have their own traits and personalities ― such as the meek rabbits; the sly, mischievous raccoons; the menacing wolves; and the defensive and industrious beavers. It is made even funnier when these animals are shown alongside human characters like Kayak, giving the premise a raging flare of hilarity with how it is visually executed.

It is especially worth pointing out the fact that the characters rarely speak throughout the course of the film, and that a majority of the vocal communication comes in the form of laughter, crying, grunts, and screams. This makes the very rare moments where characters actually speak ― in one case, with censored profanity ― all the funnier.

Another highlight of the movie involves its creative versatility of special effects. Fusing together green-screen editing and animation with physical props, puppetry, and full-body costumes, the film establishes a uniquely immersive world. The film also includes a substantial number of outdoor shots ― which, according to an article from Wisconsin Life, were captured “in the northwoods of Wisconsin during the winter of 2020.”

“The great thing about shooting a movie in the wintertime in northern Wisconsin is there’s just no one up there,” Tews, a native of Wisconsin himself, elaborated in the article. “You just go out in the woods and just start shooting and there’s no one up there to bug you.

“We just wanted to make this very accessible movie for everyone around the world,” he also stated, “while also making it pretty Midwestern and something that Wisconsin can be proud of.”

The aspect of the film that arguably stands out the most, however, would have to be its humor. Throughout its runtime, the film serves a relentless barrage of jokes, from visual gags to nonsense humor to even a title reveal that takes place just after an hour and fifteen minutes.

A few running gags, in fact, contribute perfectly to Kayak’s growth as a survivor of the winter ― from his encounter with a system of rabbit holes to a specific kind of whistle that attracts woodpeckers. Over time, he learns how those particular perks of the forest work and utilizes them to his advantage while making himself a professional hunter.

The film also features numerous instances of characters like Kayak and the beavers collapsing onto the snowy ground ― a sort of slapstick which the crew behind the film refers to as “snowstick.” As a matter of fact, the hilarious scenario where people, let alone those wearing mascot costumes, clumsily fall onto snow served as a core influence behind the making of the film.

“We knew that the image of a guy in a mascot costume falling down was fundamentally funny,” Cheslik was reported saying in Variety’s article. “And if that is in every shot, even if our gags aren’t working well, we have the fundamental comedy of mascot animal.”

However, the film is at its funniest during the third act, when Kayak encounters and infiltrates the beavers’ massive civilization crafted entirely out of lumber from the forest. The third act features a series of memorably hilarious moments, from a suspenseful heist sequence to a dynamic “Temple of Doom”-style chase to a goofy spoof on court trials to an intense fight scene that will leave its viewers howling with laughter. This all culminates to a large-scale climax in which Kayak flees from a sprawling horde of beavers, with the cartoonish and exciting chaos escalating minute by minute.

The inclusion of the court trial is particularly hilarious, considering how it calls Kayak out for committing and profiting off on the murder of countless beavers. This would likely lead viewers to believe that the film would take on an environmentalist direction and hint at a deeper moral dilemma for the protagonist to face. Instead of engaging with that path, however, the film leans fully into its absurdity and delivers an onslaught of non-stop chaos.

All in all, the well-earned reputation of “Hundreds of Beavers” proves that even a small-budget film can leave a massive, long-lasting impact with enough passion and creativity. The film’s distinct presentation, engaging actors, diverse array of effects, and captivating humor clearly show that ― even with a budget of only $150,000 ― anything can be made into an unforgettable piece of art. 

Especially now that it is available to watch for absolutely free, everyone can experience the engaging spectacle of hilarity that this labor of love is and will continue to be for years upon years to come. Amidst the wilderness of indie cinema ― if not cinema, as a whole ― "Hundreds of Beavers" undeniably stands tall.