‘The Sheep Detectives’ is a Wonderfully Charming and Uplifting Talking-Animal Mystery

May 5, 2026

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Baa, yeah! (CREDIT: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
© 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.)

Starring: Live-Action Cast: Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Tosin Cole, Hong Chau, Emma Thompson, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Conleth Hill, Mandeep Dhillon Voice Cast: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, Rhys Darby

Director: Kyle Balda

Running Time: 109 Minutes

Rating: PG for Pastoral Peril

Release Date: May 8, 2026 (Theaters)

What’s It About?: George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) is a simple shepherd in the English village of Denbrook. His days are spent tending to his flock, while his nights are spent reading mystery novels to them. Who could possibly have something against such a seemingly purehearted man? Well, he must have had his enemies, based on the fact that he suddenly dies one day, and the evidence points to murder. A colorful cast of potential suspects quickly emerges at his will reading, with his lawyer (Emma Thompson), his long-lost daughter (Molly Gordon), another shepherd (Tosin Cole), a local merchant (Hong Chau), a priest (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), and a butcher (Conleth Hill) all making themselves at least a little bit suspicious. Meanwhile, the in-over-his-head local policeman (Nicholas Braun) tries to sort it all out, and an interloping journalist thinks he’s found a career-defining scoop in the most unlikely of places. And of course the whole story is presented through the perspective of those titular Sheep Detectives, with the preternaturally clever Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) leading the way. Sheep, shepherd thyself?

What Made an Impression?: Drawn to Life: The Sheep Detectives is based on German writer Leonie Swann’s novel Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story, which is a bit surprising, as I would’ve guessed that the source material would have been a children’s picture book. Whatever the provenance, though, all of the ovine creatures are fully realized with deep, painterly care. This is one of the most emotionally hefty performances of Louis-Dreyfus’ career, and pretty much all of the other woolly companions make indelible impressions as well. Could this prove to be the latest film that will raise a generation of vegetarians? At the very least they’ll be mutton-avoiders.
Tropey and a Little Twisty: If you’re somehow worried that a movie with a premise like this one could get wildly explicit, you can rest easily knowing that The Sheep Detectives slots comfortably in what’s known as the “cozy mystery.” Which is to say, it takes place in a tight-knit bucolic community, the detectives are amateur (or amateur-ish), profanity is nonexistent, and any sex and violence is shunted offscreen. So if you’re a fan of this particular genre, you’ll surely see the gears turning as they normally do, though there’s still room to stretch out for surprising character beats. Or even if those beats fit within the typical mold, they’re emotionally satisfying enough that you can forgive any obviousness.
A Lesson That Never Gets Old: I imagine some viewers will be able to finger the killer right away, and that the humor will be a little too cute for some crowds. But even if that’s so, don’t be shocked if you find yourself bawling like a little lamb by the end. That’s because this movie is here to impart a lesson that I’m sure you’ve heard before, though it’s one that never gets old and that’s always worth repeating. Which is to say: kindness is everything. It’s what binds us together, protects us, makes the dark times bearable, and ensures that those we love most will never truly be gone. And The Sheep Detectives has done us all a great kindness by virtue of existing.

The Sheep Detectives is Recommended If You Like: Babe, Cozy mysteries, Legal documents being treated like airings of grievances, The countryside

Grade: 4 out of 5 Hooves

‘Catherine Called Birdy’: Kickin’ It Teen Style 1290 AD Edition

September 21, 2022

jmunney Cinema, Movie Reviews , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Look at that Birdy fly! (CREDIT: Alex Bailey/© Amazon Content Services LLC)

Starring: Bella Ramsey, Andrew Scott, Billie Piper, Joe Alwyn, Dean Charles-Chapman, Paul Kaye, Lesley Sharp, Sophie Okonedo, Ralph Ineson, Michael Woolfitt, Isis Hainsworth, Archie Renaux

Director: Lena Dunham

Running Time: 108 Minutes

Rating: PG-13 for The Power of Suggestion

Release Date: September 23, 2022 (Theaters)/October 7, 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)

What’s It About?: What was life like for a sassy, opinionated teenage girl in 1290 England? That’s what Catherine Called Birdy is here to let us know! Based on a 1994 children’s novel by Karen Cushman, it follows the always rambunctious days of the irrepressible Lady Catherine (Bella Ramsey), aka (you guessed it) “Birdy.” She’s an unmistakably independent young woman, but what does that even mean in a patriarchal medieval society? Despite her unique wants and desires as a human being in her own right, the standards of the time insist that she’s little more than a bargaining chip for marriage. She might drive her parents (Andrew “Hot Priest” Scott and Billie “Companion Rose” Piper) batty, but they do love her. Although, they’re also in quite the financial bind, so they could really use that dowry moolah from even the oldest, ugliest, most grotesque suitor. What’s a little Birdy to do?!

What Made an Impression?: There’s something mystical about watching a story set in a time before mass telecommunication. Since there’s no video evidence of the era, any picture of centuries ago is a mere approximation. But this wasn’t exactly a problem for the people when they were alive in 1290. In fact, I would go so far as to say that nobody ever thought about that sort of thing, unless they were unusually philosophically inclined. Certainly, Birdy and her family and friends don’t concern themselves with such thoughts; instead, they mostly just go about their routines and live their lives as they are wont to do. So the fact that we get to have a peek into those lives arrives like a mysterious gift from the universe, even if it is all fully fictional.

On a more quotidian level, I also appreciate that Catherine Called Birdy is family-friendly without feeling like it’s holding back. There are several moments where it feels frighteningly possible that things could turn bloody and/or abusive. And while we’re spared the worst details, we’re not spared the vicarious experience of what it’s like to be a teenage girl at a time when that meant you were basically property. Ramsey boils it all together with a spirited, feral performance that should hook in plenty of viewers.

Catherine Called Birdy is Recommended If You Like: Rolling around on hills, Occasional swordplay, The scene with Dennis the Peasant from Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Grade: 3.5 out of 5 Dowries