Never judge a book by its cover. When you hear of a title like The Sheep Detectives, you may think that it is going to be dire, another kids’ movie that adults will have to endure to keep their little ones quiet. Well, think again. The Sheep Detectives is one of the big surprises this year. It’s a film that we didn’t know we needed in this time of bleakness. Like Babe meets Hercules Poirot, and you will have a rough idea of what you will expect, with plenty of heart and humour.

Shepherd George Hardy loves his sheep. He’s named them all, tends to their every need, and at the end of the day, he reads whodunnits to them. When he is found dead, and the local police officer is clueless, it’s up to the faithful sheep to lead the search for his killer and solve the mystery.

Directed by Kyle Balda, who was responsible for Minions and Despicable Me 3, this is a mix of CGI animals and real actors. This is one of the film’s biggest successes. The sheep look genuinely like sheep, except they are given personalities and some amazing facial expressions. One scene, when the sheep have to cross a road, is hilarious as we see the creatures’ horrified faces. Every animal has been carefully crafted, so we can relate to each one. I know, it sounds bizarre, but stay with me.

It becomes even more surprising when you realise that the writer, Craig Mazin, working from a book “Three Bags Full” by Leonie Swann, has been responsible for some of the bleakest dramas to hit TV, including Chernobyl and The Last of Us. He has created a bundle of joy, full of clever jokes and genuinely heartbreaking moments. He has also managed to squeeze in commentary on racism, vegetarianism, and a murder mystery worthy of an Agatha Christie novel.

Yet it’s the fact that there’s so much to enjoy, from the foreground activities to what is happening in the background. This is a film that you have to pay attention to, otherwise you may miss information to help the plot, to little comedy moments going on, from the battling rams Ronnie and Reggie hitting heads to other sheep reacting to information being shared by Lily, the most intelligent of the flock.

Hugh Jackson must have loved the script so much to take on a character that doesn’t appear in most of the film, even though he is front and centre on the advertising. The humans are terrific, with Nicholas Braun a hoot as the dim-witted Officer Derry, and Molly Gordon as Rebecca, who may or may not be the prime suspect of the crime. Then there’s Emma Thompson, who comes in as George’s lawyer, chews the scenery up, and looks like Miranda Priestly from Devil Wears Prada, and steals the scenes she appears in.

It is the voice talents of the sheep that really work well here, from Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Lily, to Bryan Cranston as the lone ram Sebastian, to Brett Goldstein’s dual role of Ronnie and Reggie. Trust me when I say this, you will absolutely fall in love with Tommy Birchall’s Winter Lamb.

The Sheep Detectives is pure crowd-pleasing entertainment, and after a couple of weeks of films that have disappointed in one way or another, this delivers and then some. A blast for everyone, young and old alike. Parents, don’t worry. You can take the kids and come out loving it more than they do.

4 out of 5

Director: Kyle Balda

Starring: Hugh Jackson, Emma Thompson, Julia Louis-Drefus, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Brett Goldstein, Regina Hall, Chris O’Dowd, Bella Ramsey, Rhys Darby, Nicholas Braun, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau

Written by: Craig Mazin and (based on the novel ‘Three Bags Full’) Leonie Swann

Running Time: 109 mins

Cert: PG

Release date: 8th May 2026