Hundreds of Beavers

I’ve watched movies for years—many of us have—and it’s a universal experience, sharing in tales across genres that move us, bore us, or simply check the boxes of formulaic storytelling. But once in a rare while, you come across a film so unique it stirs something that typical cinema often leaves untouched. Enter Hundreds of Beavers, a daring cinematic feat that refuses to follow the well-trodden paths of predictable storytelling. In blending the intensity of survival, the absurdity of comedy, and even the glimmers of romance, it creates something new; something unforgettable.

Our anti-hero, Jean Kayak, steps into this wilderness after a financial downfall with nothing but his clothes and his grit. Once a thriving businessman, Jean’s luck turns against him as he finds himself stranded and stripped of all comfort, forced into a battle with nature and all of God’s creatures in the undeveloped U.S./Canadian landscape. The film’s premise may sound strange, but as you follow Jean’s journey from businessman to reluctant survivalist, you quickly discover Hundreds of Beavers is less about the beavers and more about survival, reinvention, and the way the world has a way of testing us by tearing us down to our most basic instincts.

It’s visually stunning in an unexpected way. The director captures the black-and-white grainy texture that’s reminiscent of early silent films, like something out of cinema’s silver-age playbook, and it’s shot at a low frame rate to emphasize the rawness of the emotion, atmosphere, and unfiltered view of the protagonist’s desperation.

The cast is small, yet each character is a carefully crafted presence that speaks volumes through expressions, gestures, and clever sound design. Dialogue is sparse—almost unintelligible like Simlish from EA Games’ The Sims—but somehow, it works. In fact, it’s that touch of gibberish that makes the few words resonate, as if language is too trivial for the stakes on screen. Instead, the emotions emerge through humor and suspense, drawing the audience into Jean’s personal hell with a mix of laughter and sympathy.

I’ve sat through my fair share of lackluster films (Beekeeper, I’m looking at you). But where Hundreds of Beavers stands out is its willingness to break from convention, to challenge everything that’s assumed in modern filmmaking. Here is a story that laughs in the face of norms, that revels in defying the cinematic “rules” we often take for granted. The result is not just a survival story, not just a comedy, but a film that feels refreshingly rebellious. It’s unorthodox, occasionally chaotic, and undeniably thrilling—a reminder of why we love movies in the first place.

So, do I recommend this movie? Does a beaver shit in the woods?

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