Black and White Bizarre: ‘Hippos and Beavers’

Reveling in odd-ball cinema is really what Fantasia is truly about. Highlighting interesting, haunting and bizarre narratives truly make it one of the premier film festivals of the year.

Covering all the films (especially from your own home) allows you time to figure out what headspace you want to get into, and I guess finishing out the first week I was in the mood for some black and white cinema that couldn’t be more different.

After it’s premier at Fantastic Fest in 2022, ‘Hundreds of Beavers’ continues it festival jaunt in bringing Loony Tune insanity to the big screen. ‘Beavers’ is a hoot to watch, and I could imagine the response in a crowded theater during a raucous midnight show.

On the other hand, ‘Hippo’ tells a more nuanced story, albeit being completely bonkers in it’s own right. The uncomfortable storytelling of Todd Solondz and Harmony Korine mixed with the typical black humor you would get in a David Gordon Green film (both he and Danny McBride executive produced), ‘Hippo’ is the type of film that won’t be for everyone, but it has just the right amount of twisted comedy and even more twisted familial drama where it’s one that kept me wanting to see how far they are willing to go.

What do these two features really have in common? Well, not much, but they are shot incredibly well and use their black and white palette to great effect.

The 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival runs from July 20th to August 9th.