Craig Mazin, the writer behind the harrowing miniseries 'Chernobyl' and the post-apocalyptic 'The Last of Us', has taken a surprising turn with 'The Sheep Detectives'. Adapted from Leonie Swann's German bestseller 'Three Bags Full', the film follows a flock of sheep who must solve the murder of their shepherd, played by Hugh Jackman. Despite the absurd premise, Mazin's signature sombre touch is evident, offering a meditation on morality and memory through CGI sheep that never quite interact with their surroundings.
The film pairs Mazin with 'Minions' director Kyle Balda, yet it leans more towards Mazin's dramatic sensibilities. The result is a Midsomer Murders-lite world with unexpected weight, where the melodrama enhances the comedy. Hugh Jackman's twinkly-eyed farmer George Hardy reads detective novels to his sheep and has alienated everyone in the village of Denbrook, including the rival shepherd (Tosin Cole), the butcher (Conleth Hill), the innkeeper (Hong Chau), and the priest (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith).
When George turns up dead, the smartest ewe, Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), must solve the crime while grappling with the concept of death. The sheep have the ability to wipe their memories on command, believing they turn into clouds at the end of life. Lily must also communicate her findings to local constable Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), who struggles with the accent but embodies a deeply British, wide-eyed stammer. New arrivals include George's long-lost daughter (Molly Gordon), his lawyer (Emma Thompson), and a meddlesome journalist (Nicholas Galitzine), all while the village is ominously filled with sheep reminiscent of Hitchcock's 'The Birds'.
The film boasts a star-studded voice cast including Patrick Stewart, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, and Bryan Cranston reprising his 'Isle of Dogs' role. It deftly balances tones between 'Babe: Pig in the City' and 'Clue', even landing a surprisingly fresh 'why did the chicken cross the road?' gag. The American perspective on British rural life is evident in details like naming fighting rams after the Kray twins, but the film's cheery, fairytale palette and breezy murder mystery make it an oddly charming watch.
