This is my favorite movie from 2024. I compare everything to it, it’s broken my brain in the best way.

Like everyone you know, I’m on a podcast. I’m a regular co-host, and we trade off movies to watch. I’ve been working on some longer pieces to discuss some of the movies we watched, but I felt compelled to stop everything and write about the movie that really took my breath away — Hundreds of Beavers. We did a show about it here.

Like many of my favorite movies, Hundreds of Beavers is an independent film, but luckily for you it’s quite easy to watch. For instance, Amazon Prime has it as a cheap rental and AppleTV has it available as well. It’s easily findable. Here is the trailer.

Hundreds of Beavers is what it says on the tin — it’s got hundreds of beavers. *Taps movie* this baby can fit so many beavers!

And this movie, hands down, is one of my favorite movies ever. I’m not even kidding, it’s in my top 15. I honestly can’t believe how quickly this rose to the top of my movie list, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone and everyone, which is why I’m sitting down to write this now. Normally when I have to watch a movie twice in a row to review it the second watch can be a bit of a slog — but not with this one.

Everything, and I mean everything, about this movie appeals to me. It has amazing aesthetic choices, an independent storytelling style, exceptional music, and a slapstick soul that romps through a simple narrative done extraordinarily well. I’m fan of each of those facets — and Hundreds of Beavers is a gem of a movie that has all of them. I am hoping that this film is taught in film classes for years to come and I hope it has Hollywood trembling in its boots. Hundreds of Beavers proves yet again that amazing films can be created on microbudgets and outside of the studio system.

It’s also a masterclass in storytelling. One of the big lessons I had to learn when I was studying writing was how to bring a story down to its components, and only use things in that served that story. The writers certainly know that, too because every moment, every gag leads to a payoff in Hundreds of Beavers.

Hundreds of Beavers is directed by Mike Cheslik and stars Ryland Brickson Cole Tews. They both wrote the film, and it was filmed in Wisconsin. It follows the story of Jean Kayak — an applejack maker who must face the harsh winter landscape after the destruction of his farm. We watch as he grows his knowledge about trapping and hunting. It takes inspiration from a variety of sources — from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan.

It opens, as many movies do, with a big musical number — and after that there are few words uttered. They aren’t needed — the story doesn’t need words to be conveyed, nor does it need them to be interesting. It’s rare that a single person on screen can be as animated and captivating as Ryland Brickson Cole Tews is. It reminded me a lot of the energy that Bruce Campbell brought to Evil Dead 2.

When other characters are on screen, it’s a delight to see them play off each other. Whether it’s Doug Mancheski as The Merchant never cutting Jean Kayak some slack, or Wes Tank teaching Jean Kayak the ways of fur trapping, the actors are exceptional at telling the stories with everything but their voices.

Some of the gags are too hilarious to be believed, and the escalation of them ends up in a grand finale of a payoff.

I don’t want to give up too much of the plot or action of Hundreds of Beavers — it’s a movie that is better experienced than described, and is a treasure to talk about with like minded Beaver-Believers. You can certainly listen to me talk about it once our podcast episode drops (check out Cinema Enigma wherever you listen to podcasts).

Just be careful about recommending it, lest you find yourself saying “You should see Hundreds of Beavers” which could be taken in vastly different ways.