THE SHEEP DETECTIVES
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Hong Chau, Emma Thompson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Rhys Darby, Bella Ramsey, and Brett Goldstein
Director: Kyle Balda
NICK
If you're expecting another generic children’s film from The Sheep Detectives, you're in for a surprise. Its exploration of grief is both poignant and digestible for youngsters, and it features the most tragic children's character since Inside Out's Bing Bong. It's not all doom and gloom, however, as the film elicits its share of snickers and chuckles throughout the runtime of this heartfelt whodunit. If you're from the generation that grew up on kids films with a sprinkle of trauma, this will feel oddly nostalgic. But if you’re not, this is a great opportunity to see what you’ve missed out on.
ADRIANO
There’s a movie called The Sheep Detectives starring Hugh Jackman, and it’s… good!? It’s not great. The mystery is the weak link, as it’s where a lot of the cheap humour and filmmaking are at the forefront. It’s the dynamic between the sheep themselves that surprised me. Maybe it’s my cynicism that thought a kids' movie about sheep solving mysteries couldn’t be much, but there’s shockingly dark material that these sheep display. Nothing thought-provoking, but it’s not trying to be. It’s sincere, and that’s all a movie like this needs to be at the end of the day.
BODE
If you saw the trailer for The Sheep Detectives, chances are you were baffled that it’s a real movie being put in actual theatres. I wouldn’t blame you. That’s why I’m in near disbelief that this movie is as good as it is. It’s a genuinely satisfying mystery comedy, lovingly leaning into its tropes, clues, and big reveals in ways that charmed me. Even as an exploration on how animals grieve, it’s shockingly thoughtful and very sincere (to the point where I teared up). Some films sneak up on you, and somehow, a film about talking sheep did just that for me.
