In MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, Director Travis Knight brings the legendary franchise back to the big screen in this epic live-action adventure. After being separated for 15 years, the Sword of Power leads Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) back to Eternia where he discovers his home shattered under the fiendish rule of Skeletor (Jared Leto). To save his family and his world, Adam must join forces with his closest allies, Teela (Camila Mendes) and Duncan/Man-At-Arms (Idris Elba), and embrace his true destiny as He-Man — the most powerful man in the universe.
The early reactions have been stellar!
#MastersOfTheUniverse director Travis Knight has a genuine reverence for all the incarnations of the He-Man character the MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE action figures, animated & cinematic iterations. Easter Eggs are incorporated with craft & care. I got a little misty at 1 point.
Masters of the Universe is everything this ’80s kid wanted and more. It’s gloriously campy, wildly entertaining, and nonstop fun from beginning to end. Travis Knight completely understood the assignment and delivered exactly what fans of this franchise have been waiting for.… pic.twitter.com/QrbYzSO1oO
I was excited going into Masters of the Universe—big sucker of sword and sorcery, Frank Frazetta myth here—and I was JUBILANT coming out. A massive crowd pleaser, the kind of movie that electrifies every 12 year old to keep dreaming of adventures. Loved it. pic.twitter.com/CQAhIpQKFx
The film starring Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, featuring Kristen Wiig with Jared Leto and Idris Elba is in theaters June 5.
It was a Powerful night at the Masters of the Universe premiere in Los Angeles. ⚔️ Only in theaters June 5. Get tickets now. pic.twitter.com/cL6qrcvZHg
— Masters of the Universe (@mastersmovie) May 19, 2026
Lakeshore Records has released the first single taken from the forthcoming Masters of the Universe—Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
The double sided single, “Eternia,” with music by Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning composer Daniel Pemberton (Project Hail Mary, Spider Man: Across The Spider-Verse) and featuring guitar legend Brian May is an exhilarating theme to the highly anticipated sci-fi fantasy film kicked into epic gear by May’s singular fretwork—played on his iconic “Red Special” handmade guitar that has been featured on almost every Queen record ever made. The full score album will be released on June 5.
Notes Pemberton: “While there are many spectacular things about Masters of the Universe, one of the things I am so happy to share is we have one of the greatest icons in the history of modern music playing on this score. Arise Sir Brian May.
The music of Queen was a huge influence on how I approached this movie – their amazing ability to mix flamboyant theatrics, bombast and style with a real heart, emotion and sincerity was everything I was hoping to achieve on this soundtrack. The Queen scores to films like Flash Gordon and Highlander for me felt truly groundbreaking in their approach and that attitude was something I felt modern cinema needed to experience again. So when we reached out to Brian and he was excited to come on board it really felt like a dream come true for both myself and our wonderful director Travis Knight.”
Former Wushu champion and martial arts icon Dennis To reunites with his Ip Man: Kung Fu Master director Li Liming (The Wolfman, Young Ip Man: Crisis Time) for the action-packed martial arts epic IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND – To’s fourth time* portraying the legendary grandmaster of the martial art discipline Wing Chun and mentor to several martial arts masters, including kung fu superstar Bruce Lee.
In this installment, Ip Man has become a pillar of the martial arts community, but when he prepares to open his own martial club, a western boxing gym frames him for murder and he must fight to clear his name while protecting workers from corrupt triads and foreign merchants.
In addition to To, the film also stars Zhou Xiaofei (The Grandmaster, Ip Man 4: The Finale, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragan: Sword of Destiny), Zhang Tingfei makes her film debut, Wan Wanzhong, Zhao Jingshuyu, and Steven Dasz (Pegasus 3).
IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND debuts on Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD July 14 from Well Go USA Entertainment.
The thrilling follow-up to 2019’s Ip Man: Kung Fu Master, director Li Liming’s IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND follows the Wing Chun icon as he attempts to open his own martial club after leaving his police career behind. When a western boxing gym buys up all of the property belonging to the local martial community, it’s up to Ip Man to save this tradition from destruction. Dennis To returns as Ip Man in this action-packed follow-up.
* The earlier installments of the Ip Man franchise include Ip Man: The Legend Is Born (2010), Kung Fu League (2018) and Ip Man: Kung Fu Master (2019).
IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND has a runtime of approximately 98 minutes and is not rated.
Among all the European TV crime series I’ve reviewed, ranging from deadly serious to comedic, “Family Detective” (originally, “Enquete en famille”) is probably the zaniest. Claire (Clementine Celarie) and Philippe Rochette (Bernard Le Coq), who own a hardware store in Renne are thrilled when their daughter Charline (Naima Rodic) returns home from Paris to serve as a police captain. They’re overflowing with suffocating involvement in her life and career. They’re not only helicopter hoverers by nature, but avid devourers of crime fiction who stumble all over themselves and others in their unsolicited efforts to help Charline and her partner Bastien (Marc Ruchmann) solve each week’s murder.
The season is six 50-minute episodes, each with its own case for Charline and her team to handle. In a town where everyone seems to know everyone, with gossipers spreading news of crimes and developments in their sleuthing faster than any electronic medium could match, Charline is variably helped, hampered or annoyed by her parents’ well-intended, but often counterproductive or redundant, attempts to streamline her progress to the finish line.
Unlike most of these shows, the lead cop is not the star. The camera stays mostly on the parents, whose over-the-top arguments and strategies dominate the proceedings. They are likable enough, but Charline’s desire for distance from them is easy to understand. She thought she was coming home with her beau, only to find that he’d decided to stay in Paris and ignore her calls for explanation. Soon, she also learns that she’s pregnant with his kid. All this while starting a new position of responsibility.
The scripts by Bruno Dega and Jeanne le Guillou serve up a nice array of typical murders, ranging from a likely staged suicide to a murder masked by arson, to a woman shot (mistakenly or deliberately) while riding her horse through the woods, to a dead scam artist found in his hotel. The most engaging scenario is probably the magician in the familiar box who gets run through when one of the swords does what it shouldn’t hadda oughta done to him.
In each case, the crime is mainly a setup for what the parents will do, with varying degrees of help and hindrance. Claire is absurdly strident, often bordering on hysterics. Both parents have their moments of being astute and clueless, with the latter considerably more prevalent. Ms. Celarie has shined in several other productions I’ve covered, and this role is a big stretch from those more serious and low-key performances. It was probably great fun for her to overact to this extent.
I recommend the series with a caveat. A little of Claire’s histrionics goes a long way. Bingeing for review purposes became rather exhausting. Since each episode is a stand-alone, I advise spreading them out to enjoy the comedy as the producers intended. Be sure to see them in order, since relationship progressions are important. And, in case you’re as curious as I was, they did not incorporate Naima’s real-life pregnancy into the scripts. Charline’s rapidly burgeoning belly is a set of prosthetics that was planned from the get-go.
The series aired abroad in October, 2025. No decision yet on whether there will be a second season. They don’t end with serious cliffhangers, but there are questions about what may come next on the interpersonal plot threads that I hope will be pursued.
RATING: 2 1/2 out of 4 stars
“Family Detective”, in French with subtitles, streams on MHz Choice on May 19, 2026.
In the tense 72 hours before D-Day, and the fate of the free world hanging in the balance, PRESSURE follows General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Captain James Stagg as they face an impossible choice – launch the largest and most dangerous seaborne invasion in history or risk losing the war altogether.
The film stars Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon, Chris Messina and Damian Lewis.
Revenge is the theme of director/writer Aleshea Harris’ IS GOD IS but there is a lot more going on here than payback and violence, although there is certainly that, in this film that has been called a vengeance action/thriller that has been described as a combination of Afropunk and Spaghetti Western, along with a dose of dark humor and a bit of epic quest, with some deeper questions to ponder.
Aleshea Harris makes her directorial debut with this film, which she adapted from her award-winning play, which deals with the trauma and abuse endured by Black women. It is told as a mythic quest by twin sisters, a tale rooted firmly both in the present and in ancient Greek theater and myths. The written version of the play resembles poetry, with different fonts and text that is sometimes upside down, and there is visual poetry here too, along with the violence.
Black twin sisters Anaia (Mallori Johnson) and Racine (Kara Young) were burned and scarred in childhood, when their father set fire to their mother. Raised in foster homes, where they learned to depend only on each other, the now 21-year-old twins are close but very different. They dress similar and have the same long blonde braided hair, but they are not identical and they differ in personality and temperament too. Racine is the bold one, the twin who takes action, fiercely defending her sister as well as herself against any slight or attack. Anaia is the quiet one, who keeps her head down and tries to blend into the background, but she is also the one who thinks and considers before deciding on an action, instead of just jumping in as Racine does.
The twins share a tiny, shabby apartment in the “Northeast,” where they have created their own insular life while getting by working low-wage service industry jobs. They are shocked when they get a letter from the mother they thought was dead, Ruby (), who is asking them to come to her because she has a request before she dies. Leaving their jobs and the Northeast, they drive their beat-up 1985 car to what they call the “Dirty South,” to meet the woman who claims to be their mother.
They find Ruby (Vivica A. Fox) in bed, covered in scars and attended by female helpers, as if she is a queen, even though she is living in a shack. Her request is simple but horrifying: she wants her long-lost daughters to find and kill their father, the man who burned they all.
Racine agrees readily but Anaia balks at this request, coming from a woman they hardly know and asking them to do something at great risk to themselves. What are the consequence for the two of them to commit this act of violence? Why did their mother wait until now to contact them? Eventually, Anaia agrees when Racine assures her she will do all the violence, and Anaia will take no part, but must come along because Racine can’t do it without her.
The first thing is to find their long-vanished daddy.
Thus the sisters set out on a quest that takes them through a South that is both very real yet mythic. It is both classic myth, ancient Greek theater, and classic Spaghetti Western, mixed with drive-in movie fare. They embark on their quest for vengeance, both grounded in the real and stylized, a quest filled with movie reference, theatrical ones, and some surprising, even darkly comic ones. The people they encounter change the twins, particularly Anaia. The story is firmly grounded in the contemporary, as well as myth – of the South, of tales of vengeance, of quests, of the experiences of Black women and the long history of what Black women have endured.
Harris shows a natural gift as a film director, handling horror and action scenes masterfully, and the quieter scenes of conversations between the girls, where they contemplate what they are doing, with the right, gentle touch.
The story begins a horrifying one, a flashback of the girls’ shared trauma, in black and white and narrated by their mother. In this chilling sequence, we see their mother’s unease before their abusive father, barred by court order, breaks in, sets their mother on fire and the girls catch fire as well, while their father casually strolls away. Scenes of childhood bullying and others of the girls innocently playing before the horrific event also recur throughout the film.
The meaning of the title is unclear, although it put me in mind of that old blues song “Is you is or is you ain’t my baby.” It is both a question and a statement, made in Black vernacular. The twins call their mother “God,” because, as Racine puts it, “she made us,” and at one point, Anaia tells someone “We’re on a mission from God.” The Blues Brothers reference is both a touch of dark humor and one of several movie references this stylized revenge epic. The twins themselves have a mythic quality, being opposites of a sort but completely tied, even complementary, to each other. They aren’t the only twins in the story, but the others who are less loving versions of this dichotomy.
The acting is superb, with both charismatic fireball Kara Young and quiet Mallori Johnson turning in strong performances. The supporting cast is excellent, including Vivica A. Fox and Janelle Monae, as with a startling performance by Sterling K. Brown, as you have never seen him before.
Besides the top-notch acting and strong direction, the film features fine photography, with wide-open vista, iconic images, and locations and sets that are spot on perfect. Nothing stage-y about this big screen adaptation.
This is a film with something to say and gives thinking audiences plenty to ponder, but director/writer Harris wraps it in an action/horror/adventure package so that audiences who just want that ride can just do that. Be warned that the violence is plentiful and gripping, but the psychological depth is there too, with plenty going on beneath the surface between the twins. There is much to intrigue the thinking viewer.
IS GOD IS opens in theaters on Friday, May 15, 2026.
Check out the brand new poster and see star Tom Holland and director Destin Daniel Cretton as they go behind the scenes of SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY.
The movie hits theatres July 31.
After the record-breaking global success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Brand New Day marks an entirely new chapter for Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Four years have passed since the events of No Way Home, and Peter is now an adult living entirely alone, having voluntarily erased himself from the lives and memories of those he loves. Crime-fighting in a New York that no longer knows his name, he’s devoted himself entirely to protecting his city — a full-time Spider-Man — but as the demands on him intensify, the pressure sparks a surprising physical evolution that threatens his existence, even as a strange new pattern of crimes gives rise to one of the most powerful threats he has ever faced.
SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando and Mark Ruffalo.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, written by Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers and based on the MARVEL Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
Hey, I know we were just there last month with LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY, but don’t you feel like making another visit to the “guys and ghouls” that reside at that creepy ole’ “Blumhouse”? Now, I’m not referring to an actual piece of decrepit real estate, but rather a movie production company that’s known mainly for cinematic terror tales, much like Hammer and Amicus over in the UK so long ago. This time out, they’re dipping into a bag of magical “thingamabobs” for a cautionary tale with a sardonic and very black sense of humor. So forget that dusty monkey’s paw and toss out the Arabian lamp, because this “deliverer of all desires” just may become your new OBSESSION. But, as the saying goes, “be careful what you wish for”. Very, very careful…
In the opening scene, we meet the story’s main protagonist, the morose, brooding “Bear” (Michael Johnston). He’s on a most precarious mission, not a big heist or a quest for treasures. No, he’s desperate to escape the “friend zone” in order to start a serious romantic relationship with his music store co-worker Nikki (Inde Navarrette). Bear just has to find the perfect moment to make his case. Perhaps it will be tonight after some bar trivia with two other “retail slaves”, Ian (Cooper Tomlinson) and Sarah (Megan Lawless). Oh, but a “pet emergency” has him backing out when he talks to Nikki on the phone. Bear hears some racket on her end, and Nikki says that she just accidentally dropped her crystal necklace down a drain. Ah ha! This could provide an “in.” Bear runs down to the “new age” trinket store for a replacement. But something else catches his eye. It’s a weird “Tchoksy” called “One Wish Willow”. This “old timey” toy guarantees that your wish will be granted after breaking it in two (it’s a wand-like wooden stick). At the end of the trivia night, Bear gives Nikki a lift home from the pub. And he botches his “pitch”. After an awkward goodnight, she heads toward her door. His frustration pushes Bear into giving this “new-old” toy a try (a “break”, really). He wants her complete and consuming love… and Nikki stops in her tracks and returns to his car. From then on, they’re a nearly inseparable couple. But Ian and Sarah think they’re also insufferable. Nikki begins to undergo a huge personality change, lying about her family and exhibiting even more extremely disturbing behavior (some odd culinary creations, for one thing). Yes, she is obsessing over him, hence the title. A desperate Bear calls the 800 number on the OWW box. The odd fella at the call center tells him that there are no “take-backs.” The only way to break the “wish” is for the “wisher” to die! Talk about an unbearable dilemma (sorry ’bout that)!
I suppose the main focus of the story is the “audience surrogate” Bear, played with a twitchy awkwardness by the energetic Johnston. He’s something of an “everyman”, full of yearning, but little confidence. It takes Bear a while to realize the full impact and awful consequences of his actions, but when it “kicks in,” Johnston is a sweaty ball of pure panic. But the film’s real “breakout” star is the amazing Ms. Navarrette, who impressed me for the last few years as Lana Lang’s daughter Sarah on the CW’s “Superman and Lois”. Oh, she has made the leap to the big screen with a gonzo, “go for broke” tour de force performance as the bewitched Nikki, a “dreamgirl” who suddenly becomes a nightmare. The switch in vocal intensity and her incredible physical contortions (and those rubbery facial expressions) earn her a spot in the loopy ladies of terror “hall of fame”, right next to Glen Close as Alex of FATAL ATTRACTION and Jennifer Jason Leigh’s Hedy in SINGLE WHITE FEMALE. Yet, somehow, Ms. N conveys Nikki’s tragic fate behind the frozen smiles (best shown during a nocturnal plea). To think she was the “sweetheart of Smallville”. Much of the standard comic relief is provided by Tomlinson as the party “bro” who is not quite the supportive “wing man” that he projects. Lawless exudes a tenderness behind the tough-talking punk chic stylings of the concerned and sympathetic Sarah. One of the more pleasant surprises is the supporting turn by a beloved TV comedy icon as the quartet’s befuddled boss (IMDB lists him, but I just can’t bring myself to spoil it).
It’s tough to believe that this is only the second feature from writer/director Curry Barker, as this is one terror tale brimming with confidence and a wonky style. And, perhaps due to his stand-up comedy past, a wicked sense of humor, from snarky satire to silly slapstick. Sure, we’ve gotten many variations of the “wish fulfilled” themes of regret, but Barker’s put a fresh spin in them, while harkening back to the “can men and women be friends” issues of WHEN HARRY MET SALLY (miss ya’ Rob) and even ALADDIN (Robin’s Genie can’t zap Jasmine into loving that “strett rat”). Barker also captures the intense “forced bonding” that occurs with “workmates”, especially those in their early 20’s. It’s a snarky sneer at old romcom cliches, even down to the “falling in love” montage (love the eyeroll from Sarah). Although the marketing gurus give away too much in the ads, this off-kilter, creepy romp still has lots of surprises and delivers on the scares with a sense of hopelessness and dread from one selfish little act. It’s just a shame that the film doesn’t quite “stick the landing” as the last act feels too rushed and the ending denouncement falls a bit flat (I want to stay with the duo for a few more minutes). Even with that caveat, those horror fans who have missed the mirth in the macabre may or may not be obsessed, but they should be entertained by OBSESSION. I wonder if they tried to get the rights to that old Jiminy Cricket tune?
3 Out of 4
OBSESSION opens in theatres everywhere on May 15, 2026
THE BUTCHER’S BLADE is a martial arts flick from China that is set in ancient times – before guns. That makes the numerous fight scenes heavy on swordplay (No surprise. Blade is right there in the title), with a few novelty weapons for variety. The plot centers on Buyi (Fengchao Liu), an honest, but timid constable, who’s been cowed from using his considerable skills in the face of rampant oppression and corruption among the rich and powerful – including officials of the law above his rank. Why arrest those who will quickly buy their way out of consequences, and resume their evil deeds without skipping a beat?
When he’s framed for a major theft by his sleazy bosses and about to be executed, his former mentor intervenes and sends him and his old colleague, Li Zhen (Fufu Yuan), off to catch the real thieves and recover the large cache of silver they’d swiped. That would be the only way to prove his innocence to those higher in the ranks.
The plot is something of a bummer, as corruption is so pervasive at all levels of the culture. Local landowners gouge and physically abuse the poor, while co-opted authorities are paid to turn a blind eye. Buyi’s integrity has kept him at the lowest level of the constabulary, and just about as lonely as Jesse White’s Maytag repairman in those old TV commercials. By declining all the opportunities for graft, he’s made himself something of a pariah, and definitely not the honchos’ idea of a “team player”. This frame-up and reunion with Zhen give him the chance to grow a pair, and start nailing the bad guys, some of whom had bullied him before; others who were part of the frame-up. The two work their way up the food chain of responsibility for the robbery. But all the good guys may not be as good as they seem, giving the plot more twists.
All of that is fairly par for these courses. One watches such films mainly for the fight scenes, which are plentiful and expertly choreographed. One-on-ones and hero vs. hordes are generously presented throughout. The clashes are mostly gritty and realistic in scale, with only moderate amounts of wire work. No soaring to the rooftops; just longer hang-times in many of the moves. There are several displays of stunning acrobatics, and even a showy bit of parkour in one chase.
Those looking for plot and character development can do better elsewhere. Genre fans who groove on the action will be highly satisfied with the amount and quality of what they’ll find here. And stick around for the credits, which are accompanied by numerous clips of the fight choreography and practices.
THE BUTCHER’S BLADE, mostly in Mandarin with English subtitles, debuts on digital formats as of May 12, 2026 from Well Go USA.
The two-part French telefilm, “Fred Vargas’ The Adamsberg Mysteries” (originally “Sur la dalle”) might either be a one-and-done, or the pilot for a series of procedural films featuring police detective Adamsberg (Yvan Attal). I hope it’s the latter.
The grizzled veteran is called to a town in Brittany by local top cop Mathieu (Olivier de Benoist) for help in solving some weird serial-style killings. They’d worked together before on a tough case, so the reunion was a likely step in the sleuthing for this new challenge. The village had been home to the famous Chateaubriand as its only claim to fame. Though the family no longer owned their ancestral chateau, the last descendant, Josselin (Micha Lescot), would ponce around town in period apparel, posturing as the viscount he would have been in earlier times, providing photo ops for the tourists, and tolerant amusement to the locals.
The town’s culture was suffused with a strange superstition. Stepping on someone’s shadow would spell their doom. Some believed it with religious fervor, forming a cult of acolytes. While our cops are on the case, multiple killings occur tastefully off-camera, pointing to an arcane motive and method. The eccentric Josselin is a prime suspect. So much so that he regularly asks the cops why they’re not arresting him. He seems naïve, simultaneously taking his stagey persona seriously and recognizing its folly. Several other locals emerge as likely suspects or victims. They add up to a colorful little batch of oddballs and customs.
When Adamsberg is summoned at the beginning, we see Corinne Masiero, oft-praised by this writer for her delightfully eccentric eponymous character in the long-running “Captain Marleau”series, as a team member who is supposed to go there with him. But she bows out, barely to be seen again. She’s replaced by lovely Virginie Ledoyen as a newcomer to the squad. One supposes she’s there for eye candy but as events unfold, she proves to have a number of surprising and valuable skills to contribute. In fact, if they don’t knock out more of these movies for Adamsberg, they should consider spinning her off to a film or series of her own.
The story is adapted by Emmanuel Carrere from a novel by Fred Vargas (hence the title in the imported version). The cast is full of interestingly crafted and diverse characters; the screenplay has a suitable number of twists and surprises for such dramas, with touches of levity along the way. Director Josee Dayan makes good use of the Brittany environs, and keeps things moving at a satisfying pace. Definitely an easy and worthy watch.
“Fred Vargas’ The Adamsberg Mysteries,” in French with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice as of May 12, 2026.
Hugh Jackman stars as a shepherd whose sheep love hearing him read them murder mystery stories, in the warm, witty live action/CGI animated mystery/action/comedy THE SHEEP DETECTIVES. When the shepherd, George Hardy, dies under mysterious circumstances, the sheep are on the case, of course, to find out whodunit, using the techniques they learned from those murder mysteries.
The delightful CGI sheep talk among themselves when people aren’t around. When people are there, all the humans hear is bleating – because, of course, sheep speak “sheep.” On the other hand, the sheep understand what humans are saying, or at least the words if not always the meaning.
The sheep are not animated in the traditional sense but CGI. Usually, one expects a movie with talking animals to be animated or annoyingly cute. This film is neither. THE SHEEP DETECTIVES is a delightful film, with a more serious and emotionally complexity bent which making it interesting for adults as well as kids. But just to be clear, , as there is plenty of humor, action and a mystery to solve.
While kids can appreciate and enjoy the story, it is too intense for very young children, with some scary moments and discussions of death and grief that might not be right for the youngest.
Besides reading to his flock every night, kind-hearted George (Hugh Jackman) only raises them for their wool, not for meat, which most other sheep operations around him do. George is a bit of a hermit, and lives alone in a trailer out with his flock and likes it that way. He loves all his sheep and takes very good care of them. He has fended off several attempts by the local butcher or other sheep owners to buy his flock for slaughter, but George cares more about his sheep than he cares about making money.
George’s flock are a bit of a motley lot, with a ram (Bryan Cranston) who likes wander and is a bit of a mystery himself, another wise old ram Mopple (voiced by Chris O’Dowd) who is a kind of repository of memories the others have forgotten, and an ewe who is a kind of leader, Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus). There is also a particularly fluffy sheep who likes to have some attention, as well as a couple of lambs full of questions and a pair of young ram brothers full of energy (but little sense). There is another youngster, a “winter lamb,” who is rejected by the flock, as a lamb born too early in the season often is, but who is cared for by George.
When the sheep find George dead, lying in the field, they are shocked and unsure what to do next. Then it occurs to them that they have to solve the mystery of who killed him, and the murder mystery books George read to them might be their guide. Lead sheep Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), with old Mopple’s (Chris O’Dowd) help, steps up to lead the investigation. That task involves doing things she has never done and going places she has never been, with some assistance from that wandering ram, Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) who is more worldly than the flock knew.
Meanwhile, the people in the nearby village launch their own investigation, led by the village’s sole policeman (Nicholas Braun ). A few newcomers come into the mix, a young journalist (Nicholas Galitzine) from a neighboring town, and a visitor from America (Molly Gordon) who had been writing to George from across the pond, along with her solicitor (Emma Thompson). Other villagers include a grouchy innkeeper (Hong Chau), the village priest (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), another sheep farmer interested in buying George’s flock (Tosin Cole), and his pal, the butcher (Conleth Hill).
There is more than a dash of Agatha Christie in this story set in a little English village and surrounding lovely countryside where the sheep turn detective, based on the novel “Three Bags Full.” The mystery is charming and funny but the humor is more silly than whimsical, like in BABE. Directed by Kyle Balda, the script is from Craig Mazin, who, surprisingly, was the writer behind “The Last of Us” and “Chernobyl.” THE SHEEP DETECTIVES is a family film with a serious side, and a message for kids and grown-ups, about dealing with death, overcoming fear, trying something new, and the importance of remembering. The subject matter is a bit too serious, and occasionally scary, for very young kiddies, but a good fit for older kids.
The voice cast is impressive, including not just Chris O’Dowd and Julia Louis-Dreyfus but Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Regina Hall and others. The cast in the live action portion includes stars too, with Emma Thompson particularly good as the sharp and sharp-tongued lawyer. Hugh Jackman disappears fairly early in the story, too soon perhaps for some fans, but we do get a bit more Jackman in flashbacks.
The story moves back and forth between the sheep trying to solve the mystery and the sole policeman in the village, who is trying to working things out, with a little help from some others, and the sheep. The characters in town provide plenty of red herrings and sometimes are more hindrance than help, including the ambitious young journalist from a nearby larger town, hoping to find a scope to make his name. The young woman from America, who has been exchanging letters with George, as well as her solicitor, are another mystery to solve.
Besides the mystery and some thrills and actions, there is plenty of humor and gags, often in a kind of slapstick mode. Turning detective also challenges the sheep, takes them out of their comfortable routine, and forces them to reconsider some of their assumptions and beliefs.
THE SHEEP DETECTIVES is pure delight, an intelligent, well-made family film that is both funny and has something meaningful to say, something very rare indeed now.
THE SHEEP DETECTIVES opens nationally in theaters on Friday, May 8, 2026.
