Hundreds of Beavers

A cider-salesman’s quest to become the greatest fur trapper in North America by killing hundreds of beavers.

The odds are stacked against Hundreds of Beavers, a low-budget, black and white silent comedy that serves as a fresh take on Buster Keaton and German impressionism but also borrows from Looney Tunes and Benny Hill. In spite of being so openly unfashionable and borrowing jokes that are over 100 years old it’s a brilliant film, overflowing with charm and creativity.

There’s a wacky internal logic that initially is funny and constantly fights the protagonist, then as the film progresses and he gets better at trapping animals it becomes quite satisfying as he uses the same logic to his favour. There’s a strong video game influence to the narrative - repeat the last action but slightly differently and slightly better. Get an upgrade. Do it all again. Get a better upgrade.

It’s a clever device because it keeps you on your toes and interested while allowing for gags to be repeatedly milked (which in most cases here makes them funnier). Cheslik has a good instinct for when to move on from a joke, and when to dwell on it for just a little bit longer.

This is an astonishing, hilarious, unlikely and incredibly ambitious work of art.