/filters:quality(75)/rating/PG.png)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/resident-evil-2026.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-2.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/coyote-vs-acme-3.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/forgotten-island.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/practical-magic-2.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/insidious-out-of-the-further.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/spa-weekend.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-adventures-of-tintin-tv.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-end-of-oak-street.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/one-night-only.jpg)
The murder mystery genre has been in a bit of revival lately, from 'Knives Out' and Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series (starting with 'Murder on the Orient Express') becoming franchises, to hundreds of TV shows flooding streaming services, it seems the genre is in full bloom. 'The Sheep Detectives' is another foray into the genre, but with a unique twist; this time, sheep are solving the mystery.
The film follows shepherd George Hardy (Hugh Jackman, 'Song Sung Blue', 'Deadpool & Wolverine') who lives in a caravan on a patch of land with his sheep. He lives a reclusive life away from the small town, just him and his four-legged friends. He reads his flock murder mystery novels every night, and they love discussing who they think the killer is. One day, George's flock wake up to find him dead, and they take it upon themselves to find out who murdered him. Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 'Thunderbolts*', TV's 'Veep'), Sebastian (Bryan Cranston, 'The Phoenician Scheme', 'Argylle'), Mopple (Chris O'Dowd, 'How to Build a Girl', 'The Sapphires') and Wool-Eyes (Rhys Darby, 'Next Goal Wins', 'Jumanji: The Next Level') now have to face the townspeople and work out how to communicate their findings with the humans. Was it Tim (Nicholas Braun, 'Saturday Night', TV's 'Succession'), a clumsy policeman, Elliot (Nicholas Galitzine, 'The Idea of You', 'Red, White & Royal Blue'), a reporter from out of town, Rebecca (Molly Gordon, 'Theater Camp', 'Booksmart'), Geroge's estranged daughter who just arrived to town, Beth (Hong Chau, 'Wuthering Heights', 'Kinds of Kindness'), who runs the local motel, Caleb (Tosin Colem, 'Bob Marley: One Love', 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'), a fellow shepherd, or Ham (Conleth Hill, 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen'), a local butcher? George's flock are on the case!
'The Sheep Detectives' knocks the comedy out of the park. It's that great British charm that we know and love, incredibly witty, smart and charming. It follows the tropes of the murder mystery genre, but never feels like a spoof; it's a whodunnit done in the comedy genre. It doesn't just rely on the fact that it's about sheep trying to solve a murder - it also has some really great one-liners and fun comedy set pieces. As a comedy on its own, the film absolutely soars.
What I was not expecting was to cry during 'The Sheep Detectives'. The film is incredibly moving while still being a hilarious comedy. It has beautiful messaging about grief, how to process it, and how to honour the ones we have lost. What starts out as a fun sheep comedy turns into this truly beautiful look at loss. I was not expecting just how moving the film would be. The film's heart is so touching and moving, and done so reverently.
What I was not expecting was to cry during 'The Sheep Detectives'. The film is incredibly moving while still being a hilarious comedy. It has beautiful messaging about grief, how to process it, and how to honour the ones we have lost.
As always with British films, the stacked cast is bringing their A game. The voice cast, led by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston, lends their characters a beautiful gravitas. The human cast is also a treat, Emma Thompson ('Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy', 'Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical') could just walk into frame and I'd be delighted, but as always is an absolute scene-stealer. Both Nicholas Braun and Galitzine are a treat to watch play off each other, but everyone, both in the vocal booth and on the real-life set, comes to play.
'The Sheep Detectives' soars with its comedic premise but excels with its heartwarming message. It's the perfect mix of comedy and deep and meaningful emotional beats. It's not only one of 2026's biggest surprises, but could end up as one of the year's best.
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/the-history-of-sound.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/call-me-by-your-name-2.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/thelandbeforetime2.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/brokeback-mountain.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/kill-bill-vol-1.jpg)
/filters:quality(75)/toppic/akira.jpg)