Based on the award-winning 2005 novel, Three Bags Full, by German author Leonie Swann, The Sheep Detectives is a murder-mystery comedy film directed by Kyle Balda and written by Craig Mazin. While the novel is more suitable for older readers due to its themes of crime, death, and murder, the film adaptation aims to make the story more suitable for children. Led by an all-star cast, The Sheep Detectives is now trying to crack the case in cinemas worldwide.

George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) is a hard-working shepherd who reads crime novels to his beloved sheep every evening. His sheep include Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Sebastian (Bryan Cranston), Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), Cloud (Regina Hall), Sir Richfield (Patrick Stewart), Zora (Bella Ramsay), Wool-Eyes (Rhys Darby) and twins Reggie and Ronnie (both voiced by Brett Goldstein). Though well respected in his hometown of Denbrook, many of the townsfolk seem to have an agenda against George.

On one fateful night, George is found dead in front of his caravan, and it is up to Lily, Sebastian and Mopple to solve the mystery behind his murder using only what they’ve learnt from the crime novels read to them by their beloved shepherd. Quickly, the sheep’s suspicions begin: Could it be Caleb (Tosin Cole), another shepherd who wants his sheep? Ham Gilyard (Conleth Hill), a local butcher? Beth Pennock (Hong Chau), a jealous hotel owner with a secret crush on George? Or, could it even be his own daughter and heir, Rebecca Hampstead (Molly Gordon), who had only just arrived in town?

Due to the plot, Hugh Jackman’s reign as George Hardy has limited screen time, unusual for a Hugh Jackman-led film. However, his scenes and the character’s untimely death do help set up the crime-mystery/who-dun-it plot for the movie, as Jackman’s portrayal of an admirable, positive, and upbeat George helps pace the film’s tone with his onscreen death, making both the audience and the sheep miss him dearly.

Aside from the previous mentioned suspects, fellow Denbrook townsfolk include Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), a clumsy local police officer, Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine), a reporter investigating George’s murder, Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson), George’s lawyer, Reverend Hillcoate (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), the town’s priest, and Postwoman Jo (Mandeep Dhillon) help fill up the town. Though the sheep are initially suspicious of a select few, the whole town begins to act odd, with all seemingly having an agenda.

The townsfolk each get a chance to shine on screen, with the standouts being Tim Derry’s portrayal of the clumsy, simple-minded cop, Elliot Matthews’ investigation, which helps to uncover more clues, and Rebecca Hampstead as George’s daughter, who keeps you guessing whether she has an ulterior motive. The town does portray a nice range of ethnicities, but all fit into the film’s English countryside setting. Their diverse personalities and the cause of George’s murder help keep the film engaging, leaving audiences in anticipation of who the killer could be.

The real stars of the movie are, of course, the sheep. Julia Louis-Dreyfus voices Lily, a Shetland sheep that becomes the de facto leader in solving the mystery of George’s death. Though she possesses some leadership qualities, she also shows great fear: crossing the road. She also shows compassion and maternal instincts towards younger sheep in the herd, often being asked for advice, though complications in the flock begin to arise after George’s passing.

Bryan Cranston as Sebastian, a black Icelandic Leader sheep, and Chris O’Dowd as Mopple, a Merino sheep, complete the comedy-led main trio, with the three often making their way into town to search for clues or attempting to present evidence to Officer Tim Derry. Because they were avid listeners to George’s readings, each holds a variety of problem-solving skills, including how to examine a crime scene, obtain and present evidence, which can prove rather challenging, since the human characters can’t understand them. Given Louis-Dreyfus, Cranston, and O’Dowd’s immense comedic portfolio, the trio delivers a barrage of comedic moments that will keep kids and adults highly amused.

The biggest standout amongst the supporting cast is none other than Sir Patrick Stewart as Sir Richfield, an old and wise ram who the herd often seeks guidance, even though he doesn’t consider himself part of the herd. Patrick Stewart draws on his dramatic theatre background in his portrayal, making his performance a real treat for longtime fans.

Having various breeds of sheep helps distinguish each of the main sheep characters, and their voice performances give them distinct personalities. Some of the characters have American accents that can sound out of place in a movie set in the English countryside, but being a kids’ film, it’s not too much of an issue. The herd does tend to clash on certain topics, which keeps things interesting, especially when Lily, Sebastian and Mopple take it upon themselves to find George’s killer.

Real-life sheep were used for various scenes, but the main sheep characters are animated and look incredibly lifelike. Occasionally, their faces don’t look quite as good when they speak or show different facial expressions, but they still have enough emotion to get the point across.

Despite the film being aimed at kids, it deals with some heavy themes such as crime, murder, death and grief, but in a way that’s appropriate and even educational for children. The sheep have a way of dealing with traumatic events: simply forgetting. This does help keep things positive amongst the herd, but it has its own detriments, as Lily goes against their ways to show that forgetting isn’t always the right way. The film can best be described as Babe meets Knives Out: farm animals in a murder mystery setting. Once children reach a certain age, the movie could be used to educate children on these topics, easing them into it, while keeping things light-hearted for the most part.

The film is set in modern-day England, in a fictional countryside town called Denbrook. The town is surrounded by gorgeous, peaceful open scenery, with the town itself full of old buildings and architecture to admire, despite the film’s grim plot. The music was composed by Christophe Beck, who crafted a soundtrack fitting for a kid-friendly murder-mystery film.

As mentioned, the story is a toned-down version of the novel Three Bags Full, with some character names and certain situations changed; however, the overall plot remains the same, whilst making it kid-friendly, allowing them to follow the story and keep guessing. The overall movie tone feels like the live-action kids’ movies from the 90s about triumph and tragedy, overcoming the odds and gives that good feeling at the end. These types of films feel like a lost art, so it’s refreshing to see one in modern cinema.

The Sheep Detectives is a refreshing movie perfect for the family. The heavy themes are presented in a way that helps kids understand concepts of life and death, while keeping the overall tone light-hearted, positive, and upbeat. The performances by both the animals and the voice casts create entertaining, diverse characters alongside plenty of comedic plot twists, heartfelt moments, and emotional scenes. Both kids and adults will have fun trying to crack the case with The Sheep Detectives.

Written by: Sammy Hanson