Hundreds of Beavers (2022) – Film Review

Director: Mike Cheslik
Cast: Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, Olivia Graves, Doug Mancheski
Certificate: 12

By Roger Crow

In this 19th-century supernatural winter epic, a drunken applejack salesman must go from zero to hero and become North America’s greatest fur trapper by defeating hundreds of beavers. That’s the pitch for easily the most barking mix of live-action and animation you’ll see all year. An often grainy, black-and-white saga of one guy and the eponymous critters going head to head in a clash of wills.

In a sane world, this would last for about 80 minutes and that would be that, so full marks to the cast and crew for taking what is basically a short film and managing to find enough material, and energy, to turn it into a 108-minute feature. There are so many sight gags, you may need a lie down after it.

“Cool indie energy”

I’ll repeat what I said about Lake Michigan Monster a few years ago: if there’s any justice, this should fast-track Ryland Brickson Cole Tews into Hollywood’s big leagues, though if so, I hope he retains that cool indie energy which makes this such a joy.

The good news is this was released in some parts of the world a couple of years ago, so we should be due another offering from co-writers Tews and (director) Mike Cheslik soon.

Slip your brain into neutral and let the glorious madness wash over you.

Dam, it’s good. (Beavers. Dam. No? Please yourselves).