Hundreds of Beavers is an indie slapstick comedy film that found success at film festivals and in its limited release at movie theaters. It features an applejack salesman who becomes the world’s best trapper by taking out hundreds of beavers in the style of a live action Looney Tunes. It’s absolutely bonkers, hysterical, and a truly fun ride from start to finish.

This incredibly unique movie also has almost entirely no dialogue. The protagonist, the hundreds of mascot-costumed animals, and the few members of the supporting human cast rely on facial expressions, action, and body language to tell the story rather than using dialogue. With the critical acclaim the film has been receiving, it’s worth wondering if this could mean anything for silent movie protagonists going forward.

Obviously, there are plenty of silent films and characters out there. Silent films were all there was in the early history of filmmaking. However, it hasn’t been considered the norm for quite a long time. Because of this, studios and fans alike have been hesitant when it comes to approaching adaptations of video games like Half-Life, The Legend of Zelda, and LittleBigPlanet despite their worlds, characters, and stories would work well on TV or on the big screen. The same could be said for any other story in which the protagonist is completely silent, like Wile E. Coyote.

If more filmmakers see how great and well-received Hundreds of Beavers is, perhaps they’ll be inspired to create other movies focusing on silent protagonists. Focusing on just the actions and facial expressions is such a unique way to tell a story. It’s something that could be expanded on more.

We’ve already seen certain stories told in movies like the ones starring Charlie Chaplin, and we’ve seen the ways in which those stories could be told. Now, with modern technology and filming techniques, and with how storytelling is handled nowadays, newer films with silent protagonists can become something like we’ve never quite seen before.

Gordon Freeman could be a mute character while those around him speak. The same could go for Link. Sackboy could be silent but have a narrator describing the events like in the LittleBigPlanet games. The world of a movie can be vibrant and in-depth and play a bigger role in the story to fill the void of the absent dialogue. Perhaps a reliance on facial expressions and actions can lead to connecting to characters in ways modern audiences aren’t used to.

Tom and Jerry are able to play out incredible stories without ever speaking. The same can and should be attempted with other characters, whether they be new or preexisting. Sure, the titular cat and mouse speak in some of their feature-length flicks, but those are wasted opportunities. More recently, Illumination had Mario talking a lot in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It ended up working out, but perhaps it was something they didn’t need to do.

Hopefully studios take a page out of Hundreds of Beavers’ book and explore the use of silent protagonists in new and fun ways. It could lead to some unique moviegoing experiences.

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