by James Coulter
It’s the end of the year. Rather than spend it going out to the theaters, I’ve decided to catch up on watching films I missed out on earlier this year.
That’s probably a good decision since there are not many “good'” movies out right now. I refuse, on principle, to watch the live-action Lion King prequel. Same with Kraven the Hunter. And while Sonic 3 looks good, I still haven’t watched the first two Sonic movies.
So, what movies have I decided to watch instead? Well, I could catch up on seeing the second Joker movie or The Crow remake, but, personally, a root canal without anesthesia would probably be a more enjoyable experience.
In the end, I’ve opted to watch an indie film that’s considered to be the funniest movie of the year–and chances are, most of y’all have never heard of it. That movie is: Hundreds of Beavers.
Never heard of it? I don’t blame you. It’s an indie film that ran the rounds on the indie film circuit earlier this year. It was later released onto video-on-demand, but it’s currently available to watch for free on Tubi and YouTube.
But is this indie comedy worth the hype? Is Hundreds of Beavers worth the hundreds of accolades and praise it has received? Or is it a real groaner that’s worth only hundreds of groans and sighs?
Hundreds of Beavers is an indie slapstick filmed in black-and-white, styled after the comedy flicks of the early 20th Century. The story follows the misadventures and misfortunes of an applejack salesman named Jean Kayak. After his orchard and home are comically destroyed, Jean is forced to brave the cold, unforgiving winter.
To survive, Jean becomes a fur trapper, catching rascally varmints to trade for supplies. Eventually, he falls in love with the merchant’s daughter. But the merchant, being a stern father figure, insists that the only way Jean can have his daughter’s hand in marriage is if he collects the fur of…hundreds of beavers. (Cue title drop!)
Hundreds of Beavers is one of those movies where the most ringing endorsement I can give is to simply watch the movie. Go ahead. Watch it! It’s free to stream on Tubi and YouTube. It really is that good.
As mentioned before, the movie is filmed in black-and-white in the style of classic silent movies. The characters never speak any dialogue, only the occasional grunts, moans, and sighs. The only time dialogue appears is with old-timey title cards.
Otherwise, this movie is pure slapstick. The entire film is a series of comedic vignettes that pits man against nature in the most SNAFU way possible. Poor Jean has to survive the winter with only the clothes on his back–and sometimes barely with that. And anything that can go wrong for him not only goes wrong but spectacularly so.
Essentially, the entire film is a live-action cartoon, with the comedy undoubtedly reminiscent of Looney Tunes. After all, the plot focuses on a dimwitted hunter who’s constantly outsmarted by forest creatures. Evidently, Elmer Fudd and Bugs Bunny were huge inspirations.
So, if this film is essentially a cartoon, why film it in live-action than in animation? Because it makes the wacky shenanigans all the wackier, obviously. If this film were animated, the Looney Tunes-esque antics would have been too commonplace. Having it filmed in live-action makes the slapstick and cartoon-style antics stand out even more and therefore come across as funnier in comparison.
As I said, the most ringing endorsement I can give this film is to simply watch it for yourself. If you’re looking for a laugh riot of a movie to watch, Hundreds of Beavers is guaranteed to be up your alley.
