I really enjoy comedic murder mysteries; they’ve become one of my top subgenres. Shows like Only Murders in the Building and The After Party are a lot of fun, while The Thursday Murder Club and the Knives Out films satisfy my craving for humor and mystery. The Sheep Detectives is a fresh take on murder mysteries, directed by Kyle Balda, who’s known for the Minions animated franchise.

At one point, this film was supposed to be an animated feature from a German animation studio that unfortunately went bankrupt. Based on Leonie Swann’s German detective novel Three Bags Full and adapted for the screen by Craig Mazin, the sheep are definitely the stars of the show. I was already laughing before the movie even started when Leo the Lion from the MGM logo made a bleat instead of a roar. I’m feeling playful today, so get ready for some shear-iously silly puns with this review 😀

In the charming, picture-perfect fictional English town of Denbrook, a caring shepherd named George (Hugh Jackman) looks after his cherished flock, giving each sheep a name as if they were his own children. Every night, he reads them detective stories, which turn out to be quite useful when it’s his own murder that needs to be solved. I immediately fell in love with this flock of sheep, brilliantly voiced by a fantastic ensemble: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Lily), Bryan Cranston (Sebastian), Chris O’Dowd (Mopple), Regina Hall (Cloud), Patrick Stewart (Sir Richfield), Bella Ramsey (Zora), and Brett Goldstein (twins Reggie and Ronnie).

The actors portraying the human characters aren’t too shabby either; in addition to Jackman, we’ve got Emma Thompson (George’s lawyer, Lydia), Nicholas Braun (the town’s sole policeman, Tim Derry), Nicholas Galitzine (visiting reporter Elliot Matthews), Molly Gordon (George’s daughter, Rebecca), and Hong Chau (local innkeeper Beth). Out of this flock, Braun is the standout as the blundering cop trying to figure out his first murder mystery. I’ve only seen him in bit parts (Dream Scenario, Saturday Night), but he proves to be an adept comic actor, while Balda makes good use of his extremely tall (6’7”) stature.

George’s murder disturbs the tranquil existence on their farm ewe-topia as the sheep decide they must do right by their good shepherd and solve his murder. They follow the clues and investigate human suspects; they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers. Led by Lily, the smartest one of the bunch, the herd pursues various clues and cleverly assists the clueless Tim with the investigation. Neighboring shepherd Caleb (Tosin Cole) and an aptly named butcher Ham (Conleth Hill) are among the suspects, as well as nearly the entire town and the newcomers, Elliot and Rebecca.

Now, obviously, this is a family-friendly comedy, so the whodunnit aspect isn’t quite on the level of Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, or even Benoit Blanc. Still, I couldn’t figure out who the killer was in the end, which was a nice twist. So, who says sheep can’t be great detectives? Plus, this adorable group of animals is just so endearingly funny.

I love the funny bit where Lily is terrified to cross the tiny road, which is only a few steps away, only to watch a chicken casually stroll across with confidence. The scene where Sebastian attempts to explain Christianity to the flock is a hoot! “There’s someone called God who lives here (points to the church); he’s both a shepherd and a lamb. He’s also bread, and they eat him on Sundays!” Haha, theology can be quite baa-fling for humans, not just for sheep.

Beyond just a murder mystery, The Sheep Detectives explores themes of belonging and the experience of being an outcast by birth (in the case of Winter Lamb), while offering a commentary on the meat industry from the animals’ point of view. It even touches upon personal trauma, as Sebastian, the disillusioned loner Icelandic Leadersheep with a dark past as a carnival animal. The relationsheep between Lily and the winter lamb is so moving that it made me tear up. Mazin’s able to baa-lance the funny and dramatic tone pretty wool; he really shows his range as a writer, since he won an Emmy for Best Writing for the dark historical series Chernobyl.

The live-action/CGI hybrid is technically proficient, thanks to the CGI work by Melbourne-based VFX studio Framestore. The CGI animals are photorealistic, featuring expressive faces and movements that resemble real sheep. George Steel’s cinematography captures the beauty of the English countryside (mostly shot in Buckinghamshire) in a lush and cozy way, while Christophe Beck’s score adds a playful and whimsical touch.

I had fun with this one from beginning to end. It’s the perfect movie that everyone in the family can enjoy. Hopefully this movie does well, so they keep making more. Usually, I’m not a fan of sequels, but I’d be totally up for watching this ewe-niquely quirky flock of detectives tackle more cases down the line.