When looking at what movies were screening in theaters, we came across a title that was far too baa-ffling to continue scrolling—“The Sheep Detectives.” The title sparked an interesting conversation, which led to us watching the trailer and checking reviews. We were absolutely dumbfounded to find a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and an abundance of positive reviews.

Initially, our going to see the film was intended as a joke. We didn’t have high expectations. I mean, come on, how good can it really be? We later understood why it was so highly praised and we would end up agreeing with these ratings.

“The Sheep Detectives,” released on May 8, 2026, directed by Kyle Balda, follows the story of a shepherd, George Hardy, played by Hugh Jackman, and you can’t forget, his flock of sheep.

Viewers are shown early in the film that George enjoys reading murder mystery books to his sheep, who oddly become invested in the stories. So much so that they have discussions among themselves about their own theories on who the killer might be. Yes, the sheep talk.

The bibliophilic flock includes Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Mopple (voiced by Chris O’Dowd), Sebastian (voiced by Bryan Cranston), Ronnie and Reggie (the twins, which are both voiced by Brett Goldstein), Cloud (voiced by Regina Hall), Sir Ritchfield (voiced by Patrick Stewart), Zora (voiced by Bella Ramsey), Wool-Eyes (voiced by Rhys Darby) and the nameless and neglected winter lamb (voiced by Tommy Birchall).

The movie takes place in the small British town of Denbrook, where we’re introduced to many characters such as the butcher, the other shepherd, the priest, the innkeeper, the policeman, the traveling journalist and the recipient of George’s letters.

These characters all play their own crucial roles in establishing relationships amongst each other. They all have their own suspicious behaviors, which get the audience to theorize on who the killer may be or what the motive was.

Lily, George’s favorite sheep, is the incredibly intelligent main protagonist. She leads the investigation of George’s death after he is found deceased outside his camper. The flock is given a chance to use their detective skills, which they acquired through the stories George read to them, in an effort to bring justice to their beloved shepherd. In this whodunit story, the flock is met with many physical and mental obstacles, while giving the viewers many comical scenes, making this a profound and enjoyable film.

The comedy in this movie is filled with dad-joke humor. It has a clever play on words and a great use of comedic timing. Despite being very comical, the movie captures moments that resonate with life experiences of overcoming obstacles, working together, navigating grief, outcasting the unfamiliar, along with showcasing love and acceptance.

Although these experiences are depicted through sheep, there is a great focus on the actual feelings being experienced, as the sheep themselves are trying to understand and wrap their head around handling these new and difficult emotions. There are many instances and small details in the film that pull heartstrings. If you’re an emotional soul, be prepared for the waterworks because the scenes and scripting are extremely touching.

The movie is incredibly cinematic and deserving of all the hype around it. With beautiful landscapes and lighting that contribute to the atmosphere and enhance emotion. The animation and CGI are really well constructed and fairly passable.

Finally, after all that running around, we get to the reveal of the murderer. However, this is a spoiler-free review. To find out who the true killer is, ewe should go watch “The Sheep Detectives” for yourself.

Our final rating consists of 9 baas out of 10 sheep.