‘Sheep Detectives’ review: A deeply silly story that’s smarter than it needs to be

At first glance, the tone for Sheep Detectives it looks less like an actual movie than it does and more like a random page from Mad Libs: From a TV Producer’s The Last of UsCraig Mazin, comes a cozy crime comedy starring Hugh Jackman as a crooked shepherd, whose unexpected death prompts his furry flock to investigate by novices. Those who have their say in these loose sheep are Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, and Bella Ramsey. In the foreground is sitting Kyle Balda, the director of Friends: The Rise of Gru. And for good measure, some human actors include the likes of Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, and Emma Thompson.

Surprisingly, Sheep Detectives a real movie. Honestly, it could have been a deeply stupid movie with bad CGI animation and a predictable resolution, and I’d still be glad it existed at all. I just love throwing big with its bonkers desires. But props to Balda and his kooky characters, because Sheep Detectives it’s more than mindless fun. It’s a smart detective story with a lot of humor, a thrilling ensemble, and a sad ending that brought tears to my eyes!

It may sound like hyperbole, but I mean this sincerely: Sheep Detectives it is definitely a crowd pleaser that is sure to be one of the most entertaining movies of the year.

If you like Loner Criminals in the Building or Lwesine Murder Club, you will love me Sheep Detectives.

Based on Leonie Swann’s 2005 novel Three Bags Full, Sheep Detectives it begins on the farms of George Hardy (a monstrous Jackman), a lonely shepherd who devotes his life to caring for his sheep. In a voiceover, George explains that he doesn’t really care about people, but he loves his flock. Then, introduce each ram, lamb, and ewe by name. There’s the fluffy diva Cloud (Regina Hall), the clever lamb Juno (Ramsey), the wise-cracking Mopple (O’Dowd), the rambunctious twin rams (both voiced by Brett Goldstein), and her favorites, the brightly colored Lily (Louis-Dreyfus) and the rugged black sheep (Cran Sebastian).

At the end of each day, George settles into the sunset with a mystery novel, which he reads aloud to his sheep. He suspects that they don’t understand the stories of the detectives, but he appreciates the culture in the same way. Little does George know that when he talks between them, the sheep are comparing notes every night, hoping to crack the case before the novel’s intrigue. Lily always gets it right. So, when one morning they find George dead in their pasture, Lily leads the others in finding his killer.

With Sebastian and Mopple by his side, he goes to a nearby town to raise suspects, including a sinister butcher (Conleth Hill), a rival shepherd (Tosin Cole), a scornful bed and breakfast owner (Chau), and a mysterious stranger (Gordon), whose arrival in town is highly suspicious.

Of course, although Lily and her flock know English, they don’t speak it. Therefore, they will need to figure out how to communicate their findings to investigative reporter Elliot Matthews (Galitzine) and the local police officer, Tim Derry (Braun). Along the way, they will not only apply what they have learned from George’s books, but they will also face hard truths about what it means to be a sheep.

Cool crime has a new artwork Sheep Detectives.

Nicholas Braun stars as Officer Tim Derry and Molly Gordon as Rebecca Hampstead in “The Sheep Detective”.
Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

Craig Mazin’s script doesn’t spoil the detective stories. Instead, like Shout out for slashers, Sheep Detectives it draws attention to the tropes of its genre in order to better subvert them. Lily notes with dedication that motive, methods, and alibis are all important pieces of information. But both he and the policeman quickly realize that solving a murder case isn’t as easy as checking boxes in a game A clue. The humor comes not only from the strange turns the investigation takes, but also from the inventive ways the sheep find to convey their message to the police rescuer.

Braun is a strong fool in the role, not only bursting with CGI sheep, which are animated with animation that finds a comfortable place between photo-real and cutesy critter. She also plays a foil to smart people, like Galitzine’s reporter, Gordon’s femme fatale, and Emma Thompson’s lawyer, whose tongue is as sharp as her clothes.

Emma Thompson stars as Lydia Harbottle in The Sheep Detective.
Credit: Alex Bailey / Amazon MGM Studios

Mazin cleverly combines archetypes from the British cozy and film noir to create a delightful tonal clash. To demonstrate this integration, Sheep Detectives repeatedly jumps from bouncy comedy to tense moments about a murder investigation. And Balda’s collection manages each jump with grace. Louis-Dreyfus takes the lead, making Lily lively, determined, and at times wild. Cranston remembers his Isle of Dogs working, playing a maned animal eager to belong and afraid of keeping themselves in conflict. O’Dowd delivers dopey fun that matures into earnest as Sheep Detectives deals less with the mystery than with the tragedy of George’s death. With these sheep’s butts facing the case, there’s a lot of tension because of how the animation and voice combine to create characters that feel really real, even in their ambiguous situations.

Allow me to give you my favorite example. In this luxurious house, where the festival has three small booths arranged in a row behind the bed and breakfast, each shop seems to have a neon sign. It’s not the expected hand-painted wooden sign announcing their shop’s name. Neon. I first saw it in a butcher’s shop, where a butcher’s meat vendor was interviewed under neon pink signs that resembled butcher knives. Later, I saw the words “police station” written in neon blue. And then, during the walking and talking where most of the exposition was being put in, we see two big green wrenches on the side of the building… in neon, of course. Then, the characters pass a sign that serves as the description and punchline of a joke that I didn’t even realize was being set up. It read: “Nancy’s Neon – big discounts for locals.”

It’s a small, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it dog. But it made me cry. And what’s more, it got stronger Sheep Detective‘s genre-mashup by infusing the comfort of an English village with a strong lighting of neo-noir symbols. Sheep Detectives it’s full of thoughtful features like this one that shows the layers of Balda, Mazin, and their cute characters built in.

Sheep Detectives fun for the whole family.

Laraine Newman as the voice of the fainting sheep and Hugh Jackman as George Hardy in “The Sheep Detective”.
Credit: Amazon MGM Studios

For adults who love a mystery to solve, Sheep Detectives presents a curious and difficult murder case to crack. The suspects, played by amazing comedians, are colorful, eccentric, and crazy, adding intensity to each investigation.

For kids who like animal movies, Sheep Detectives cleverly offers furry, funny heroes who offer life lessons in an easy to understand way. Indeed, this film involves death, murder, and misery. But there is no blood and little violence. Moreover, death is not taken lightly by man or animal here. In fact, the way Lily and her flock learn to deal with what happened to George can be a learning moment for children, as it is explained simply but sensitively.

The humor here ranges from physical comedy to slapstick to sight gags and sheepish shenanigans. And so, Sheep Detectives it’s that rare thing, a joke that isn’t ashamed to be funny. Yet with Mazin’s eye for detail and Balda’s knack for utter idiocy, Sheep Detectives it’s more. A feel-good film that is sure to please all ages.

Sheep Detectives opens in theaters May 8.