The Sheep Detectives ★★★★

Released: 8 May 2026

Director: Kyle Balda

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Chris O’Dowd, Bryan Cranston, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Patrick Stewart, Emma Thompson

Leoni Swann’s 2005 novel Three Bags Full combined a story of a flock of sheep, whose shepherd read them bedtime stories with a murder mystery. When the shepherd, George is found dead, the flock take it on themselves to find his killer. The core traits of the story are kept intact for Kyle Balda’s cinematic retelling, The Sheep Detectives. It is more of a straight up whodunnit that gives the human cast more emphasis, but fans of the book will find plenty they recognise.

Hugh Jackman plays George, the lovable shepherd, ostracised by the local community, largely keeping to himself and his flock. There is no shortage of would-be murderers in the village, with the sheep giving local policeman Tim Derry (Succession’s Nicholas Braun) a helping hand. What on paper could be a disaster is largely kept on track by its earnestness and the calibre of performers involved, among the human leads we have Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Conleth Hill and Emma Thompson, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Rhys Darby and Patrick Stewart providing the voices of the flock.

It is an enjoyable, at times laugh-out-loud funny escapade that never takes itself too seriously but has enough meaningful moments to hit home at the right moments. Think Paddington with shades of Babe. The involvement of Executive Producers, Phil Lord & Chris Miller, also calls to mind The Lego Movie. It is a project that shouldn’t work, but against all odds it does. If not quite in the pantheon of the Paddington films, it is at least a highly enjoyable dose of family escapism with plenty to offer younger and older viewers.

The book could at times feel like it was trying to cram in too much and tonally felt awkward. This goes for a more conventional, crowd-pleasing route, poking fun at and embracing tropes of murder mysteries, while retaining the characteristics and spirit of Swann’s novel. It is a delicate balancing act that Kyle Balda pulls off with the support of Craig Mazin (The Last of Us and Chernobyl). Resulting in a heartfelt, old school crowd pleaser that even if not the most ground-breaking, has plenty to offer beyond its quirky premise.