The Sheep Detectives is the coziest cozy mystery you ever cozied up to. It wraps you in its cloud-soft woolen embrace and snuggles you through the tough moments that make up a murder mystery. Yes, this is a family movie built around a murder. But it’s handled in a way, through the perspectives of the sheep, that doesn’t overwhelm.
The sheep are clearly CG beings made in post-production. You’ll start to forget as you’re wrapped up in the story, but then come moments where the sheep and people embrace or snuggle and it pulls you out of the moment. There’s one scene where Hugh Jackman holds and pets a sheep — I swear his hand is a half inch from the sheep’s woolen torso. You need a little suspension of disbelief at times. And if you allow disbelief to be suspended, you’re in for a treat.
The wooly cast of characters is a bit of a paradox. Each sheep carries a personality and emotion that, when assembled, creates a flock with the complexity of a human brain. As a whole, the flock is curious, capable of deduction, and surprisingly brave when it counts. But they’re also sheep. They sometimes hide from the tough moments of life, following orders of shepherds — some of whom want to cut them into meat while others just want to coexist, living off the valuable wool they provide.
This flock happened to live with a shepherd who tried to lift the wool from their eyes, allowing them to experience the world instead of just existing in it. He read them murder mysteries that created a template of critical thinking that even sheep could follow. When the shepherd was killed, his sheep used the knowledge he passed to them, allowing them to launch an investigation of their own. From there, they grew into more than what we expect from a flock of sheep.
The Sheep Detectives is about acknowledging loss, challenging the status quo, and recognizing that our differences become strengths when we stand mutton to mutton. The story is a bit formulaic, like the murder mysteries the shepherd used to read. Guess what? It’s supposed to be simple to follow. That’s what makes it cozy and accessible. Through the entertaining, funny story, our kids are taught about the power of empathy, confronting life’s tough moments, and recognizing that the easiest answers aren’t always the best answers. Pour grandma her favorite cocktail and settle in for this one as a full family. It’s a rare film that entertains ages 5 to 85.
Where to watch
Rating: PG (Me: 5+)
Director: Kyle Balda
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O’Dowd, Patrick Stewart, Bryan Cranston, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, Regina Hall
Run time: 1hr 49m
Post-credits scenes: A quick audio-only callback to the line most spoken in the movie. Not worth hanging around for.
Bathroom breaks: According to Run Pee…
- 28:30 when Lily says, “Shall we begin?”
- 1:11 during the scariest scene of the movie — a fight among animals
Sequel? The writer says probably not. Actor Nicholas Braun says he hopes so. Sorry, Nick.
If you liked Sheep Detectives, check out these films:
- Babe (1995) (5+)
- Charlotte’s Web (2006) (5+)
- Paddington 2 (2017) (5+)
- Zootopia (2016) (6+)
- Clue (1985) (10+)
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Find this title on the Family Film Recommendations list
