The Sheep Detectives (dir. Kyle Balda)

by Jack Martin | May 5, 2026

Certificate: PG

Running Time: 109 mins

UK Distributor: Sony Pictures

UK Release Date: 8 May 2026

WHO’S IN THE SHEEP DETECTIVES?

Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Tosin Cole, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Conleth Hill, Mandeep Dhillon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Kyle Balda (director), Craig Mazin (writer), Tim Bevan, Lindsay Doran and Eric Fellner (producers), Christophe Beck (composer), George Steel (cinematographers), Al LeVine, Paul Machliss and Martin Walsh (editors)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

After their shepherd (Jackman) is murdered, his flock of sheep set out to solve the mystery…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON THE SHEEP DETECTIVES?

Why is it that the family movies with the most ridiculous titles always turn out to be far better than expected? The list is endless: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Free Willy, Kung Fu Panda, even last year’s K-Pop Demon Hunters initially sounded like one of those joke pitches you’d heard in an executive boardroom meeting in a Hollywood satire. Yet, despite how silly some of those titles sound, they’ve become revered classics among children and even adults, or at the very least have surprised the more cynical viewers by being much more profound and mature than their names would suggest.

You can go ahead and add The Sheep Detectives to that list. Very much like the others, that is the kind of title you’d automatically assume came from filmmakers who perhaps weren’t even trying to appear smart or refined, especially when said filmmaker happens to be Kyle Balda, the director of the previous two Minions movies. But in a twist worthy of the very case our titular flock sets out to solve, the film itself works shockingly well in spite of itself, offering genuine charm, strong character drama, and even an intriguing mystery for viewers to enjoy. Yes, in a film called The Sheep Detectives.

The film takes place around the small countryside town of Denbrook, where George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) is a solitary shepherd living on some farmland whose flock of impressively rendered CGI sheep are his pride and joy. He especially enjoys reading to them from his collection of murder-mystery books, despite knowing that they probably can’t understand them… but unbeknownst to him, they not only can but are quick to discuss amongst themselves the mechanics of the story and their ultimate predictions on who the culprit may be. Or, at least, as much as sheep such as these can comprehend such complexities, with the self-proclaimed smartest sheep Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) being left to suss it out on her own.

One day, the sheep are devastated to find George dead outside his trailer, seemingly from a heart attack which is what Tim (Nicholas Braun), the incompetent local human policeman, deems it to be. But Lily is quickly convinced that George was actually murdered and recruits her fellow herd – including memorious Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), inquisitive young lamb Zora (Bella Ramsey), and loner ram Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) – to find and put together the clues to nudge Tim in the right direction. Eventually, a list of suspects emerges, from rival shepherd Caleb (Tosin Cole) to lovesick hotel owner Beth (Hong Chau) to recently arrived reporter Elliot (Nicholas Galitzine) to even George’s estranged American daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon), all of whom draw the sheep’s attention in one way or another.

It’s a classic murder-mystery plot with red herrings and plot twists galore, many of which often make it feel like a comparably lighter child-friendly version of a typical Agatha Christie or Knives Out story. But that doesn’t mean the mystery itself is insultingly easy for kids or even adults to figure out, as Craig Mazin’s script throws a few intriguing curveballs into the works that only the more eagle-eyed viewers might be able to catch on repeat viewings. Some of the later reveals are actually quite unexpected, causing you to doubt certain people who you had initially written off as simple background fodder, until they reveal themselves to be far more important than they initially seem. It creates much more of an unpredictable nature to the plot that, again, you wouldn’t imagine there being in a film called The Sheep Detectives.

Mazin doesn’t stop there, as he utilises the unique perspective of this familiar murder-mystery template to explore some mature themes with remarkable tonal consistency, allowing the film plenty of space to let dramatic moments happen without sudden comedic interruption. The film takes its plot reasonably seriously, with there even being a few points where it becomes quite intense, but it still leaves enough room for humour to naturally come in just when it’s needed and not a moment more. The characters are also well-defined and likeable enough to follow, especially the sheep who are comically naïve about most things (for instance, they believe that they turn into clouds when they die rather than… well, the opposite) but are written to have strong emotional depth rather than just be throwaway archetypes. Some of them are even given backstories that don’t shy away from particular acts of cruelty towards animals, which end up being some of the moments where you’ll genuinely start to choke up. Yes, a movie called The Sheep Detectives may well just make you cry at some point.

Though on occasion Balda’s direction can feel a little awkward, particularly when focusing exclusively on the live-action characters (you can tell he’s much more in his element with the animated sheep), this is a delightful family film that really does seem to respect its audience. None more so, however, than its younger and potentially less patient viewers, whom it refuses to talk down or pander to with juvenile gags and pop culture references – to where there are mercifully no such things whatsoever in this script – and actively encourages them to engage with the mystery as much as their parents or guardians would. But beyond that, it offers a smart and respectful story with enjoyable characters brought to life by some heartfelt vocal performances that all add to something with charm, sophistication, and emotion.

I guess the title goes to show that you should never judge a sheep by its wool.

SO, TO SUM UP…

The Sheep Detectives is one of the year’s biggest surprises thus far, as it offers not just a compelling and often unpredictable murder-mystery plot, but also strong emotional depth and lovable characters with plenty of heart.