At a glance, the pitch for The Sheep Detectivesseems less like an actual movie that exists and more like an unhinged Mad Libs page: From the co-creator of TV’s The Last of Us, Craig Mazin, comes a cozy crime comedy in which Hugh Jackman stars as a misanthropic shepherd, whose unexpected death spurs his furry flock into amateur investigating. Lending their voices to these sleuthing sheep are Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, and Bella Ramsey. At the helm sits Kyle Balda, director of Minions: The Rise of Gru. And for good measure, the rest of the human cast includes the likes of Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, and Emma Thompson.
Incredibly, The Sheep Detectives is a real movie. Frankly, it could have been a deeply stupid movie with bad CGI animation and a predictable solution, and I still would have been pleased that it even existed at all. I just love a big swing for its bonkers ambition. But props to Balda and his kooky cast, because The Sheep Detectives is so much more than silly fun. It’s a smart parody of the detective stories with a cheeky sense of humor, a sensational ensemble, and an ending so poignant that I actually teared up!
It might sound like sheer hyperbole, but I mean this sincerely: The Sheep Detectives is an utter crowd-pleaser sure to be one of the most entertaining movies of the year.
If you love Only Murders in the Building or The Thursday Murder Club, you’ll adore The Sheep Detectives.
Regina Hall as the voice of Cloud, Chris O’Dowd as the voice of Mopple and Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the voice of Lily in “The Sheep Detectives.” Credit: Amazon MGM Studios
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