(L to R) Tommy Birchall as the voice of The Winter Lamb and Hugh Jackman as George Hardy in THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, from Amazon MGM Studios. Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.
– By Cate Marquis –
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.
RATING: 4 out of 4 stars
