Imagine pitching this to film investors: The flick is a cross between a Road Runner cartoon, a Buster Keaton comedy, and a special effects-driven junk drawer, with all the mechanical workings of a video game. It will be shot in black-and-white using a Panasonic GH5 (in 1080p, no less) over three months in the snowy forests of Wisconsin. We should complete its low-budget special effects post-production after four years. Now imagine having gotten it made on a budget of $150,000.
This unique indie film, directed by Cheslik and co-written with old high-school chum Ryland Tews (who also plays the lead), does not seem to follow any rules, other than the whims of the filmmakers, and is one of those films that attracts viewers more out of curiosity than anything else. That’s not to say it can’t be enjoyed.
It helps that the cartoon-like world relies on familiar narrative devices to keep the viewers from experiencing vertigo. But any semblance of romance, adventure, action, or survival — that is to say, thematic markers or plotting — merely serves as a guardrail for a visual spectacle rather than the other way around. Unsuspecting viewers might have difficulty in adjusting to hyperbolic feats involving fantastical, gravity-defying physics and just enough logic to seem plausible. Forget that woodland creatures (nothing more than humans in costumes) are stalked and subdued by the hunter-hero using a growing number of contrived animal-trapping gadgets. The star-like eyes of deceased prey carry the animated suspension of disbelief even further. With this film, animal-rights activists might have their sensibilities tested at the very least.
The movie certainly can’t be taken too seriously, unless of course you are the filmmakers. After all, making it happen can only be the result of serious effort and innovation. Hardly the mind-blowing special effects of the larger-than-life Marvel landscape, this film mindfully toys with existing technology to make something novel that commands attention.
“Hundreds of Beavers” is one of those movies where viewers might initially question what’s happening at any moment. No worries. If you trust the filmmaker and leave logic behind, and then get out of the way and let its essence come to you, you just might experience a moment of fusion. At least in submitting to chaos, you kind of get it.
Your adult self may initially roll its eyes, but if you focus, you might appreciate each creative moment in the mayhem. So, watch the film; your inner child may thank you for it.
