The Sheep Detectives is a live-action comedy film based on the 2005 source novel by Leonie Swann. It follows the story of George Hardy, a devoted shepherd who believes his sheep can't talk, but they actually have a real-life murder to discuss. The film stars Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Chris O'Dowd, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus among others.
The Sheep Detectives (PG, 109 mins) Verdict: Mutton dressed as lamb Rating: Three stars The 2015 classic Shaun The Sheep and its 2019 sequel Farmageddon set, in the admittedly uncrowded field of ovine comedies for all the family, a formidably high baa.
The Sheep Detectives reaches it only intermittently, though along the way there are several moments of shear pleasure. Right, with (almost) all of my sheep puns out of the way, let's get down to business. I took my seat expecting to be charmed, given the pedigree of those involved. Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson lead the live-action cast, with Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Chris O'Dowd and Julia Louis-Dreyfus among the voice ensemble.
Furthermore, the director is Kyle Balda (Minions) and the writer is Craig Mazin, whose diverse credits range from The Hangover Part II to the brilliant TV mini-series Chernobyl (2019). And the producers are Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, whose Working Title stable positively overflows with hits.
This film's working title was Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie, which was lifted from the 2005 source novel by the German writer Leonie Swann - but perhaps also hinted at a woolly version of the Knives Out series. Hugh Jackman (pictured) portraying George Hardy in The Sheep Detectives Emma Thompson (pictured) also leads the live-action cast, with Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Chris O'Dowd and Julia Louis-Dreyfus among the voice ensemble Patrick Stewart is the voice of Sir Ritchfield in The Sheep Detectives I don't know why it was re-titled, but with its wacky array of murder suspects and decidedly convoluted plot, it is more than a little reminiscent of Wake Up Dead Man, the latest Knives Out picture.
With added computer-generated talking sheep. Jackman plays George Hardy, a shepherd so devoted to his bleating charges that he gives them names (such as Ronnie and Reggie, a pair of pugnacious twin rams), feeds them blue medicine and reads detective stories to them at twilight. He thinks they can't talk, but of course we know otherwise, and soon they have a real-life murder to discuss. Sadly, the victim is George himself.
But who has knocked him off? And why? The setting is rural England, so there's also a distinct whiff of Agatha Christie and Midsomer Murders - although the characters best-equipped to solve George's murder seem to be his beloved herd, principally 'the world's smartest sheep' Lily (Louis-Dreyfus) along with Mopple (O'Dowd) and Sebastian (Cranston).
On the human side of the fence, there's a local copper played by Nicholas Braun (more or less reprising Cousin Greg, his amiable dimwit in the TV hit Succession), a dogged newspaperman (Nicholas Galitzine) and a sneaky shopkeeper (Hong Chau). Thompson plays George's sharp-tongued lawyer, who arrives to read out his will and reveals that he had two children, who were given up for adoption. The film bowls along merrily enough, and the CGI sheep are splendidly rendered.
There are also quite a few lines that made me smile, with Lily and co aware from all the detective stories George read them that the police habitually like to pin this kind of murder on 'a drifter'. Yet I'd hoped for more. By the end I felt mildly short-changed... rather than thoroughly fleeced. Also showing Charismatic Billie Eilish totally absorbed me...
There could hardly be more of a gulf between the subjects of this week's two major music documentaries: Billie Eilish and Iron Maiden. Will anyone go to the cinema to see both? Maybe only the odd grizzled headbanger with an adolescent granddaughter in tow, each keen to see what gives the other a buzz. But to find an unexpected and rather heartwarming connection between these two polar-opposite acts, read on.
Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard And Soft (12A, 114 mins, four out of five stars) is a concert film, shot last year in Manchester and best enjoyed in 3D. I don't exactly fall into its target audience but I was wholly absorbed by it. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter is a remarkably charismatic performer, whose objective is to give her fans 'sensory overload'.
Mortal Kombat II (15, 116 mins) Verdict: Kartoonish violence - three our of five stars In 2021's Mortal Kombat, monstrous baddies staked a claim on Earth. Our best warriors would have to triumph in an interdimensional fighting tournament – or all would be lost. Except the battles didn't happen. Luckily, Mortal Kombat II, right, is here to correct that oversight.
Turns out, actually having a fighting competition in your fighting competition movie is a good thing. So, too, is leaning into the silliness of the video games these films are based on. Were it not for the gory combat (sorry, kombat) scenes, MKII would play like a Saturday morning cartoon. The best addition, in this respect, is Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, a preening action hero drafted in to fight, who gets all the best punchline
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‘The Sheep Detectives’ is the starry, family-friendly whodunnit you didn’t know you needed“The Sheep Detectives” is not your average talking animal movie.
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‘The Sheep Detectives’ is the starry, family-friendly whodunit you didn’t know you needed“The Sheep Detectives” is not your average talking animal movie.
Read more »
‘The Sheep Detectives’ is the starry, family-friendly whodunit you didn’t know you needed“The Sheep Detectives” is not your average talking animal movie.
Read more »
The Sheep Detectives: 3 New Delightful Clips ReleasedIt’s a herder mystery, and everyone is a suspect. TheSheepDetectives arrives in theaters May 2026. Get tickets now. https://www.amazon.com/salp/thesheepdetectives?hhf In this witty, new breed of mystery, George (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand.
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