Over the years in cinema there have been countless famous detectives, including Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, and Phillip Marlowe, to name just a few. Joining that list is Lily and her flock of sheep in the entertaining murder mystery comedy, The Sheep Detectives.
The film opens on a lovely and quiet farm with George (Hugh Jackman), a shepherd taking care of his flock. He keeps them well fed and well groomed, and at the end of each day he reads murder mysteries out loud to them. Of course, George likes to pretend that the sheep follow along, but in reality, he knows they’re just sheep.
However, the minute George goes into his caravan for the night, always leaving the identity of the killer hanging, the sheep baa and talk among themselves about how frustrating it is when he does that. “Oh, this is torture!” exclaims one of the flock while they try to figure out who the killer is. Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the golden-wooled sheep who is George’s favorite, almost always figures out who the murderer is before George reveals it the next evening.
When Lily and her friend, Mopple (voiced by Chris O’Dowd), find George lying on the grass not moving, they realize he’s been murdered. Not trusting the well-meaning but in-way-over-his-head local officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) to solve George’s murder, Lily and her flock are determined to solve their beloved shepherd’s murder.
George’s death transforms the film into a small-town whodunit with plenty of suspects. First, there’s George’s estranged daughter, Rebecca Hampstead (Molly Gordon), who, as it turns out, showed up one day before George was killed. Then there’s Caleb (Tosin Cole), the neighbor farmer whom George had thrown off his farm only days earlier. And don’t count out the town’s butcher, Ham (Conleth Hill), who has always had his eyes on George’s sheep.
There’s also Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), to whom George made a large and suspicious donation for his church the day before he was murdered. And the innkeeper Beth Penncock (Hong Chau) had some sort of history with George.
Trying to help with the investigation is reporter Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine), who came to town to cover the art festival but hopes covering the hunt for George’s killer will get him a promotion at his paper. So, Lily and her flock set out to find clues that will, hopefully, help Officer Derry catch the killer and bring them to justice.
The Sheep Detectives is a charming, fun-filled mystery comedy with a stellar voice cast and wonderful CGI and puppetry that bring the sheep alive on screen. It’s a family-friendly whodunit that has plenty of heart as well as messages about family, regret, death, and grief.
Hugh Jackman shines as the lonely shepherd who loves his sheep and desperately wants to reconnect with his daughter, Rebecca. He’s a tough yet likeable character who becomes the tragic fallen hero of the film.
Nicholas Braun is amusing and effective as Officer Derry, the honest, good-hearted, and bumbling cop who wants to find George’s killer but won’t be able to without the flock’s help.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is perfectly cast as the voice of Lily, the unofficial leader of the flock who initially wants to simply forget about George and his death because it’s too painful. With Mopple and Sebastian (voiced by Bryan Cranston) urging her to remember him and solve his murder, she becomes determined to find the killer. Louis-Dreyfus brings Lily to life with confidence and a little naïveté; she’s impossible not to like.
Bryan Cranston delivers a memorable performance as the voice of Sebastian, the noble ram who considers himself outside the flock of sheep but is worldly wise and a bit protective of them. Cranston’s low-key delivery adds a bit of necessary tension and weight to the film.
The CGI and puppetry used to make the sheep seem real are visual delights and work exceptionally well. Sweet, touching, and with plenty of humor and some silliness, The Sheep Detectives is a perfect whodunit and fine family fun.
(There is one scene in particular that may be too dark and intense for children under the age of eight.)
GRADE: B+
Rating: PG for brief language, thematic material, and some violent content
Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes
Release Date: May 8, 2026
Directed By: Kyle Balda
Studio: Amazon MGM Studios
