Review: The Sheep Detectives – A (Nero) Wolfe in sheep’s clothing

Directed by Kyle Balda
Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Hugh Jackman, Nicholas Braun, Emma Thompson

8/10

Lilly’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus’) flock live a fairly ideal existence, eating grass, being shorn when their fleece is too long, and being read murder mysteries every night. When their shepherd (Hugh Jackman) is murdered, they lack faith in the town’s bumbling lone police officer to solve the crime. So it falls onto a brave few to take up the investigation, if only they can leave their paddock first.

The Sheep Detectives manages its disparate threads with remarkable dexterity. The murder mystery manages to provide an interesting list of suspects, clues, and red herrings while being filtered through the different perspective of sheep and kept inoffensive enough to be child friendly. The magical reality aspect of the sheep’s world is built on an intriguing mythology while being able to inform the investigation and introduce elements to promote family discussion. The family movie element of it allows social issues to be filtered through a softer lens and to be explored in a gentler way with a slightly muted tone. In combination, it is a remarkably compelling mystery with something interesting to say and an emotionally effective tone while doing so.

This is aided by a stacked cast, both in front of the camera and especially in those lending their voices. Jackman gives a performance that is brimming with glee and joy in life. Emma Thompson is more low-key but delightfully acerbic in her tone. Nicholas Braun is exceptional comic relief as the bumbling police officer being methodically led through the case by a trio of sheep and slowly realising what is happening.

Then there is the voice cast. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is unrecognisable, bringing an intriguing roundedness to Lilly, “the smartest sheep in the world”. Chris O’Dowd brings an unexpected scepticism to Mopple, the sheep cursed to remember while his flock forgets. You can often hear him biting his tongue to allow the flock their happy delusions as he decides not to share his awareness. Bryan Cranston is also worth mentioning as the hard-bitten black sheep loner, Sebastian, who challenges the flock’s view.

Thankfully, the sheep’s perspective is not just a gimmick. It allows for the creation of a different cultural point of view, which is both fascinating in itself and also allows for topics such as mortality, trauma, and minority persecution to be explored in a softer focus. That fictional distance adds a convenient cushioning for parental discussions and manages to maintain the general light-hearted nature of the film while just giving it a little edge.

A thoroughly enchanting dose of magical reality combined with a murder mystery. The Sheep Detectives is a pleasant surprise that’s not as diabetically sweet as it initially appears.

DAVID O’CONNELL