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5.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Hayseeds remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a dusty postcard from a century ago, maybe. If you need tight pacing or a story that actually makes sense, stay far, far away. This isn't exactly The Independence of Romania in terms of scale, and that’s probably for the best.
The whole thing starts with Mary getting lost in the bush. It’s the kind of "lost" that only happens in old movies, where you just walk in a circle for five minutes and suddenly you're in a totally different zip code. Then, the Hayseeds show up.
They’re a lot. They feel like a family that would be exhausting to sit next to at a dinner party, but they’re also the only reason to keep watching. There’s this specific energy to the way they move across the screen—sort of chaotic and loud.
The movie really pivots when they take the family into Sydney. It’s a bit like watching a fish try to walk on land, if the fish was wearing overalls and shouting at a waiter. You can tell the director was really pushing for that classic contrast, but it ends up feeling more like a series of sketches stitched together with a needle and thread.
There's this one moment where Cecil Kellaway is just doing way too much with his face, and you can tell he’s having the time of his life while everyone else looks a bit confused. It’s not great art, but it’s human. It’s messy.
Watching this made me think of Merrily Yours, mostly because both films have that strange, optimistic vibe that feels so dated now. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Probably because we’d get bored after ten minutes.
Look, if you’re looking for a serious piece of cinema, you’re in the wrong place. But if you want to see people from 1933 trying to figure out how to be funny in front of a camera, it’s a weirdly charming little time capsule. Just don't expect it to change your life. 🤠
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1919
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