Hundreds of Beavers

Hundreds of Beavers is a 2022 American independent epic slapstick comedy film directed by Mike Cheslik in his feature directorial debut, and written by Cheslik and Ryland Tews. The black-and-white, largely dialogue-free film stars Tews as applejack maker Jean Kayak who, in trying to win the hand of a merchant's daughter, finds himself embroiled in a conflict with beavers.

Cheslik and Tews, who had previously collaborated on multiple projects including Lake Michigan Monster (2018), developed the idea for Hundreds of Beavers in October 2018. Conceived as a parody of The Revenant (2015) and survival films, the film was influenced by silent movies and slapstick comedies, and was designed to be akin to watching a let's play video. Hundreds of Beavers was shot on a low budget of $150,000 in rural Wisconsin and Michigan across twelve weeks during the winter of 2019–20; the beavers and most of the other animals throughout the film were portrayed by actors in mascot costumes.

Following two years of post-production, Hundreds of Beavers premiered at Fantastic Fest on September 29, 2022. Cheslik and Tews chose to self-distribute the film, which began a limited theatrical release on January 26, 2024, and received a video on demand release on April 15, 2024. Hundreds of Beavers received critical acclaim and numerous accolades, with multiple outlets listing it among the best films of the year in 2024. Its theatrical run grossed $1.5 million.