Every night, a shepherd reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it.
I must admit I was skeptical going into this film. It seemed like a kind of fever dream pitch that would never make it out of a studio boardroom, but I was pleasantly surprised at what turned out to be a polished, crowd-pleasing gem.
“The Sheep Detectives” is a wonderful kind of oddball concept: a murder mystery starring a flock of CG-animated sheep who can talk to each other (but not humans), teaming up to solve the suspicious death of their beloved shepherd. Yes, it’s ridiculous. It’s also unexpectedly delightful.
And let’s not dance around it: “The Sheep Detectives” is “Knives Out” with animated sheep. But instead of a mansion full of A-listers circling Daniel Craig’s drawling detective, here they’re voicing CGI livestock who must piece the mystery together themselves—no human help, no Benoit Blanc safety net, just pure, woolly deduction.
Fronted—in person, at least—by Hugh Jackman as the beloved shepherd George Hardy, who loves his flock like family and reads mysteries to them every night before bedtime. When Hardy is mysteriously found dead, his flock, led by Lilly (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), must band together and use their learned deductive skills to solve the case that stumps the clumsy local policeman Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun). Patrick Stewart, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall, and Chris O’Dowd round out the rest of the voice cast, with Hong Chau, Molly Gordon, and Emma Thompson in supporting live-action roles that form a genuinely memorable lineup of suspects.
As one would expect from the premise, the script comes loaded with puns that serve to keep the energy brisk without becoming exhausting. What sets this whodunit apart from others is the perspective from which this story is told. While seeing human behavior through the eyes of sheep is amusing, it also offers a reflection we seldom get in PG movies. Like “The Lion King” did for me, this film could be a meaningful way to introduce children to the concepts of death and grieving.
What really elevates “The Sheep Detectives” is its commitment to being a real mystery. This isn’t just window dressing for jokes—the film plants clues, builds tension, and delivers a reveal that lands. It respects its audience, trusting both kids and adults to stay engaged in the puzzle.
Ultimately, “The Sheep Detectives” is a rare breed: a family film that’s clever, self-aware, and genuinely fun from start to finish.
In Theaters Friday, May 8th
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