I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Sheep Detectives because it seems aimed at children, even though it revolves around a murder. I quickly realized this is a movie that all ages will appreciate.
Starring Hugh Jackman as George Hardy, a kindly sheep farmer, the film turned out to be the funniest movie I’ve seen in years. I can’t remember ever laughing so often during a movie.
The premise is charming – George loves his flock of sheep, raising them solely for wool – never for meat. Each night, he reads them a chapter from a murder mystery, believing they don’t understand a word, yet they gather around him and listen intently.
After he goes to bed, the sheep get together to figure out who the murderer is. Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is the best at solving mysteries, while shaggy Mopple (Chris O'Dowd) is her supportive friend.
When George is discovered lying on the ground outside his trailer one morning, the sheep are confused. Lily and Mopple go inside the trailer and Lily notices two drinking glasses, indicating George must have had a guest. They come to the grim realization that he’s been murdered.
Although clever at solving fictional murders, the sheep find that solving George’s murder is much more complicated, especially when the local policeman, Officer Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) proves to somewhat clueless.
Lawyer Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson) and George's daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon) arrive in the village for the reading of the will, and the sheep position themselves under the window in order to hear to whom George has left his worldly goods, hoping that will provide them with clues.
A small-time reporter (Nicholas Galitzine) who happens to be in town to cover a festival gets involved and offers to helps Officer Tim with the murder, telling him this is a much bigger story than what he originally came for.
The antics of the sheep are hilarious and adorable; it’s easy to see how George fell in love with them.
By the end of the film, my friend and I were not only laughing but also had tears in our eyes. This is a movie that will not only entertain children, but adults will especially appreciate it. ~Alexandra Heilbron
5 out of 5 stars.
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