HomeahohoA KILLER IS ON THE LAMB — THE SHEEP DETECTIVES TURNS A CUTE ANIMAL MYSTERY INTO A SURPRISINGLY DARK LITTLE WHODUNIT At first glance, The Sheep Detectives looks like the kind of cozy animal movie built for smiles, soft chaos, and harmless countryside charm. But beneath the woolly faces and gentle setting, something far stranger begins to unfold. A mystery has shaken the flock, suspicion spreads quietly, and every innocent-looking glance suddenly feels like it could be hiding a secret. What starts as cute quickly becomes curious, then unexpectedly tense, as the film leans into a playful detective story with just enough darkness to keep viewers watching. It is charming, odd, and far more mysterious than its fluffy appearance suggests.
A KILLER IS ON THE LAMB — THE SHEEP DETECTIVES TURNS A CUTE ANIMAL MYSTERY INTO A SURPRISINGLY DARK LITTLE WHODUNIT At first glance, The Sheep Detectives looks like the kind of cozy animal movie built for smiles, soft chaos, and harmless countryside charm. But beneath the woolly faces and gentle setting, something far stranger begins to unfold. A mystery has shaken the flock, suspicion spreads quietly, and every innocent-looking glance suddenly feels like it could be hiding a secret. What starts as cute quickly becomes curious, then unexpectedly tense, as the film leans into a playful detective story with just enough darkness to keep viewers watching. It is charming, odd, and far more mysterious than its fluffy appearance suggests.
‘The Sheep Detectives’ review: A killer is on the lamb in cute animal mystery movie
A word of advice on the new movie “The Sheep Detectives”: Give it a bleat. Sorry, a beat.
The family film begins rather treacly, with a shepherd named George played by Hugh Jackman waxing poetic about his extreme love for his sheep. I was simultaneously annoyed and creeped out.
Every member of his flock has a name and a distinct personality. The animal obsessive reads mysteries to them nightly. George’s narrated intro is so syrupy sweet it makes “Babe” look like “The Silence of the Lambs.”
And then . . . he gets murdered! The movie morphs into a darker but kid-friendly Miss Marple yarn with eccentric village suspects. Butterknives Out. After the good shepherd is fatally poisoned by inedible parts of a yew tree, the situation becomes much better. Well, for us anyway — not for George.
Speaking of baa-ram-ewe “Babe,” the lively livestock also talk amongst themselves — in a confusing variety of accents — and they set off to solve the crime.
