The Sheep Detectives, the “charming” murder mystery starring Hugh Jackman, has debuted with a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Kyle Balda, the film follows Jackman as a shepherd named George.
The synopsis reads: “In this witty, new breed of mystery, George is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand.
“But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realise they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.”
Sony Pictures
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Joining Jackman on the star-studded human cast are Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine and Hong Chau.
Meanwhile, the impressive voice cast for the sheep includes Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby and Patrick Stewart.
Following its previews, The Sheep Detectives debuted with a near-perfect score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews calling the film “charming”.
In our three-star review of the film, Digital Spy said: “Aimed squarely at younger children (although it is rated PG, not a U), in the end The Sheep Detectives is best seen as a sweet introduction to the cosy crime genre made popular by more grown-up shows like Death in Paradise and Bergerac.”
Time Out described the film as a “frisky and charming rural murder-mystery”, while Common Sense Media similarly called it a “charming whodunnit”.
“As cozy farm animal detective stories go, it simply can’t be bleat,” penned The Wrap, with Mashable saying: “It’s a feel-good movie that’s sure to delight all ages.”
Sony Pictures
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AV Club said it “evokes the sunny spirit of classics like Babe while teaching important lessons about death and community” and “contains a wonderful Julia Louis-Dreyfus performance as a smart sheep who discovers she’s got a lot to learn”.
“It’s a bit much, to be frank. But at the time, the all-hands-aboard desire to take so absurd a premise and insist it be about something offers its Midsomer Murders-lite world a sense of weight and substance. The melodrama helps land the comedy,” added The Independent.
The Guardian suggested that it “may be off-putting” for some, though “makes for a sweet-natured family comedy, and a spiky and amusing cameo from Emma Thompson certainly doesn’t hurt”.
“There’s wisdom amid the silliness, as the story gently makes a case for the necessity of grief, mindfulness and mortal awareness… That’s more than you might expect from a film called The Sheep Detectives,” wrote Variety.
The Sheep Detectives is released in cinemas on 8 May, with previews over the Bank Holiday weekend (2-4 May).
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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.