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‘The Sheep Detectives’ Opens to Warm Reviews for a Family-Friendly Whodunit

Critics single out lifelike CGI sheep as the film’s key draw.

Overview

  • Led by Amazon MGM in the U.S., the film opened Friday in theaters, with Sony overseeing international release and an expected Prime Video debut after the theatrical window.
  • The story follows a flock that sets out to solve their shepherd’s poisoning after years of bedtime mystery novels taught them how to hunt for clues.
  • A quirky world detail shapes the investigation, as most sheep can choose to forget painful events while one, Mopple, remembers everything, which turns grief and memory into central themes.
  • Early reviews describe a charming, cozy mystery with standout voice work from Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart and Chris O’Dowd, though some critics find the plot loose and the human characters uneven.
  • The PG-rated, 109-minute film adapts Leonie Swann’s Three Bags Full, with Craig Mazin scripting and Kyle Balda directing, and reviewers note the convincing blend of live action with photoreal CGI.