Aaron Ploof
The term sheep is often used to describe the dumbest of the human flock, those that follow the crowd, don’t think for themselves, and unwillingly seek out dangerous situations. In The Sheep Detectives, the titular sheep buck this trend. They prove they are the most intelligent animals all around. The Sheep Detectives is a heartwarming, clever, hilarious, and wise film. It will entertain families and their children while giving them a chance to solve an excellent whodunit.
At the center of the mystery is one George Hardy (Hugh Jackman), a recluse who spends all of his free time tending to his sheep. As a shepherd, he doesn’t just care for his sheep; he absolutely loves them. He has given each one a name. There’s Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the smart sheep. Mopple (Chris O’Dowd) is the one who remembers everything. Cloud (Regina Hall) is the diva. Sir Richfield (Patrick Stewart) is forgetful. Zora (Bella Ramsey) is curious. Wool Eyes (Rhys Darby) is the intellectually challenged one. Reggie and Ronnie (Brett Goldstein) are the Rams, obsessed with crashing into things. Then there’s an outlier, Sebastian (Bryan Cranston), who watches from afar and doesn’t intermingle much with the crowd.
When George is mysteriously murdered, the local policeman, Tim (Nicholas Braun), who’s honestly out of his depth, fails to pick up the clues. It’s up to George’s sheep to solve the mystery on their own. Well, not entirely on their own, they’ll assist Tim while he does the nitty-gritty work.
The Sheep Detectives is written just like a whodunit novel, following all of the rules and tropes. Although in this case, it’s real life, so it may just be a bit more complicated. The suspects are laid out one by one at the outset of the film. Clues are dropped here and there, pointing at the culprit. There are even red herrings.
The human cast is led by Hugh Jackman, who gets top billing in the film. But because this is a mystery film, he doesn’t survive very long. Soon, the human protagonist role is taken up by Tim, who investigates each suspect individually. They are as follows: Rebecca (Molly Gordon), George’s daughter; Beth (Hong Chau), the innkeeper; Caleb (Tosin Cole), a fellow shepherd; Reverend Hillcoate, the local priest; and Ham Gilyard, a butcher.
Any one of these individuals could be responsible for George’s murder, and they are each given motives. The lawyer for George’s will, Lydia (Emma Thompson), reveals the most prominent one: an inheritance of $30 million. Of course, this makes Rebecca look guilty, but things aren’t always as they seem.
The best part of The Sheep Detectives is watching the sheep go through the mystery, picking up clues, and investigating. Their efforts to assist Tim with solving the case are not only entertaining, but they also bring with them loads of laughter. These sheep aren’t necessarily ready for the world outside of their pasture. For instance, the sheep must first cross the road to enter town, but Lily finds it almost impossible to do so, because the unrecognizable pavement isn’t grass.
But The Sheep Detectives also has wisdom to it. Not everything in the movie is meant to simply bring joy. There are some heavy themes here, ones that focus on justice, sacrifice, the permanence of death, and remembering those who have left us for the great beyond. Interestingly, the sheep can willfully forget the harsher realities of life, all except Mopple. He plays the wise sheep, who is a strong representation of the human condition.
There is one more theme here that is perhaps the strongest among the flock: the need for belonging. The sheep mirror our own society, shunning those who don’t fit in. In the sheep’s case, these are the “winter lambs” born in the cold season, instead of in the spring. It may be in the sheep’s instincts, as in ours, to disregard those who don’t align with how we see the world, but we are doing this to our own detriment.
All the actors give excellent performances, whether they’re sheep or real-life humans. Nicholas Braun is a particular standout, as he grows more confident in his mystery-solving abilities with the help of George’s sheep. Molly Gordon also deserves praise for playing Rebecca, a challenging, multi-dimensional character. Sheep wise, Bella Ramsey plays the inquisitive Zora with curious wit, and Bryan Cranston hits all the right emotional notes for Sebastian.
The Sheep Detectives will not necessarily go down as a masterpiece, but it is a wholesome, funny, charming, and surprisingly deep thematic film. This is a perfect movie for children who are ready to think about these heavier topics. Adults will get just as much, if not more, out of it. You’ll want to choose to remember this one.
