Jordan Rubin

(In French, On Cable TV, May 2021) With a title like Zombeavers, we can be sure of two things: It’s not going to be high art, and the end product will never live up to its title. You can guess the plot: college-age partiers heading for an isolated cabin in the woods, suddenly attacked by zombie beavers. It’s really not meant to be anything more than that. But while the film clearly wants to (and should) be a horror/comedy blend, I wasn’t completely happy with a blend placing far too much emphasis on gory horror rather than self-aware comedy. (Also: too many gory sex “jokes.”) This intention keeps going until the rather dispiriting ending, so anyone expecting lighter fare à la Black Sheep may want to temper their expectations, because that’s not where writer-director Jordan Rubin is going. This being said, while Zombeavers comfortably misses greatness and goodness alike, it’s not a horrible film. At 78 minutes, it buys itself some indulgence — especially for viewers with low expectations settling in for some late-evening fun. It’s meant to be laughed at, and while it doesn’t quite reach all of its targets, it’s certainly not unwatchable.