The Sheep Detectives movie was officially released on May 8th of this year, starring Hugh Jackman as a shepherd, and his sheep voiced by stars like Bella Ramsey, Brian Cranston, Regina Lee Hall, and more.
This film is about a shepherd named George Hardy who lived by himself on a field and tended to sheep every day, which he loved dearly, and read to them every night before the day ended. An important detail about the movie was the fact that George named each and every sheep something that was special to him.
One night, George is found by one of his sheep, Lily (who was his favorite and named after his deceased wife), to be unalive. One important thing to note is that all the sheep are talking, but humans aren’t able to understand them.
George’s death was ruled a murder, which prompted Lily to convince the other sheep to solve the case because of their knowledge of crime and detective stories.
Some things that I really enjoyed while watching this movie were the involvement with the story. The film gave clues and evidence to the viewer, and based on the information, you could figure out the culprit. I also enjoyed the comedy that was involved in the movie, mixed with deeper topics. For example, the movie went over topics like grief, animal cruelty, and the struggle of change.
The only reason that I wouldn’t give this movie a higher score is that I began to get bored a bit towards the end (the movie was 1h and 49 minutes long). I would still like to watch it again to see any clues that I might have missed the first time, so I give this movie an overall rating of ⅗.
What are critics saying?
“I think it’s a very appropriate movie for a young audience or an adult audience. I think they’ve done a really nice job of splitting that difference. I think that the humor in it, to me, is kinder.” Linda Holmes from “NPR Podcast”
“This is a mild and unassuming mystery comedy, in the style of a cosy ABC crime drama to curl up with on a Saturday night. For fans of The Thursday Murder Club and Agatha Christie, and, er, Babe.” Nikki Gemmel from “The Australian,” who gave it a ⅗
“The Sheep Detectives, a family-friendly whodunit that marries pastoral whimsy with unexpectedly weighty themes, is a rare, woolly beast.” Tara Brady from “The Irish Times,” who gave it a ⅘
“Hugh Jackman shepherds a tale of sheep crime solvers that tickles the funnybone, touches the heart, and just may end up as the summer’s sweetest surprise.” Peter Travers from “The Travers Take,” who gives it a 3.5/4
“The Sheep Detectives | Audience Reviews.” Rotten Tomatoes, 2026, www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_sheep_detectives/reviews/top-critics. Accessed 14 May 2026.
