This Is The Sort Of Beaver No Man Wants To Go Down On!

How many of us out there have seen a filthy, hairy Beaver in 2026? I guessed not. After all’ that is the modern way. Well my friends fear not as we're about to chalk that one off the bucket list. As anyone that knows me would testify, I love a good creature feature. Whether it’s a Shark movie, ravenous gators, Coyotes or Cocaine Bears, animals have always presented themselves as an interesting antagonist for the horror genre. This time we’ve been presented with Beavers. Not just any Beavers’..........but Zombeavers! Are these creatures a worthwhile entry into the genre or are they the reason that hairy Beavers are a thing of the past?

The story starts with two inept delivery drivers that due to a carefree attitude to road safety end up hitting a deer and losing a barrel of rather hazardous medical waste they’re transporting. Sadly for our local residents this finds its way down river and to a Beaver dam turning our fuzzy friends into ravenous Zombeavers. At the same time, three college friends have come to spend the weekend in a family cabin. It’s not long however after their arrival that they’re joined by their horny partners and the stay goes from a girly get together to a debauched weekend. The Zombeavers have other ideas though and after gate-crashing the naked shenanigans it turns into a night of terror and survival, and the Beavers the guys were hoping to see are not the ones they’ll remember from this night’ IF THEY SURVIVE!

These Beavers have an appetite for more than just wood!

Zombeavers is what you’d expect from what’s basically a throwback to B movies of old. It doesn’t take itself serious in any way. The characters are generally all likeable but expendable. The story and effects are both serviceable and in some instances cheesy but that’s the whole point. There’s plenty of blood and gore along with your obligatory sex and nudity and who doesn’t like those in a horror film. The thing the film does get right is the Beavers themselves. If these aren’t done right then the film fails. Thankfully the decision to use practical effects and puppetry for these is what makes them so terrifying yet hilarious. They are literally one of the coolest features about the film, and don’t get me started on what happens to a few of the characters after they’ve been bitten or scratched. You’ve not seen anything like it is all I’ll say. Just prepare yourself for what happens to the character of Sam played by Hutch Dano. He is a bit of a scumbag but he gets his just desserts. I wouldn’t say its original but his death is done in a fantastic way and it will make you laugh out loud. If it doesn’t then you’re in the wrong place here.

This is not the Beaver I had in mind this weekend!

 Clocking in at around 77 minutes the film doesn’t waste any time with too much plot or character development, because it doesn’t need to. The early scenes detail enough to get the story going and then it’s swiftly onto the stars of the show which are the Beavers. Notable cast include Jake Weary (Animal Kingdom, TV series) and Rex Linn (Cliffhanger, Django Unchained & Lethal Weapon, TV series). The ending is pretty cool as well. It’s one of those where the film makes you think you know who the final girl is going to be and then it throws a curveball at you. Watch it all the way to the end though as the film closes out to some black humour and I loved that.

My final thoughts having watched Zombeavers?

There’s a reason films like this exist and it’s not to unleash the unhealthy amount of Beaver jokes I have during this review. Believe it or not it’s to entertain horror fans who love their B movie schlock. I for one love the humour, the silliness the use of practical creature effects and just the absurdity of the whole thing. If you go into it with that sort of expectation you’ll have a good time. At the end of the day we all like to go down on a good Beaver, and I’m happy to say that this one doesn’t stink! I’m sorry’ I just had to close out with one more.