THE SHEEP DETECTIVES: Fun For The Entire Flock

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES (Blu-ray) 🐑

2026 / 109 min

Alliance Entertainment

Review by Princess Pepper😺

I generally don’t watch a lot of family films. Not that I have anything against them per se, but now that my daughters have since grown up, sitting through those aimed squarely at children are usually a chore to endure. And that’s what I assumed The Sheep Detectives was going to be…cute and cloying, with talking CGI sheep. My first thought was that Hugh Jackman’s Marvel residuals must have finally dried up. 

But The Sheep Detectives is not what I was expecting. While Jackman gets top billing, he probably has less screen time than anyone else because his character is killed within the first 20 minutes (though he’s really good in his role). Sure, the film is chock full of CGI sheep, and yeah, it’s pretty cute at times. But it’s also a genuine whodunit, and a pretty intriguing one at that.

Jackman plays George Hardy, a reclusive, dedicated shepherd who really loves his flock (not that way, LOL). Not only does he prefer their company over his neighbors in the nearby village of Denbrook, he’s named each one and reads murder mysteries to them every evening. When he’s later found dead near the camper where he lived, Denbrook’s dimwitted lone cop, Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) believes George died of a heart attack. 

George's selection of The Silence of the Lambs didn't go over well.

However, his flock, led by the ‘smartest’ of them, Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), suspects foul play, as does newspaper reporter Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine). Meanwhile, George’s lawyer, Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson), arrives in town to read his will, and in attendance are numerous potential suspects, including Rebecca (Molly Gordon), the daughter he once gave up for adoption after her mother died during childbirth.

Using what they learned from murder mysteries, Lily and two other sheep, Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) and Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), dig up clues and discreetly coerce Derry and Matthews to investigate each suspect further, eventually accusing Rebecca, who stands the most to gain from George’s death. Along the way, these animals reveal unique, charming personalities, as well as some interesting views and beliefs, such as their understanding of the concept of death. While the film’s overall tone is affably whimsical, its narrative does occasionally venture into some dark territory with its depiction of death and the flock’s reaction to its reality (which is contrary to what they’re always believed).

But for the most part, the emphasis is on fun. Not only are the characters and  investigation engaging, The Sheep Detectives is full of good humor that’s never pandering or overly broad. With clever writing and good cast (both onscreen and those voicing the individual sheep), this is an enjoyably sweet-natured film for kids and adults alike.