When I immediately know I love a movie — in this case, the moment the MGM lion’s roar turns out to be the baa of a sheep — it’s such a wonderful reminder that life can still surprise you.
When shepherd George (Hugh Jackman) is found dead on his ranch, his adoring flock is devastated. Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the smartest of the sheep, sets out to uncover his murderer and lead the local, inept policeman Tim (Nicholas Braun, aka Greg from Succession) to the truth. Along the way, she’s assisted by other sheep like Mopple (Chris O’Dowd)….who is incapable of instantly forgetting hurtful truths like the rest of the flock, Sebastian (Bryan Cranston)…a ram that’s a bit of a loner and realist….and Wool-Eyes (Rhys Darby). Sir Patrick Stewart and Bella Ramsey also voice sheep, and Emma Thompson ends up being George’s lawyer. The movie is jam packed with talent.
It also helps that the film takes place in a picturesque English village of Denbrook that feels like a character in its own right….a place so perfectly suited to this strange, charming mystery that it almost seems like it was waiting for a flock of detective sheep to arrive.
It’s a delightful setup, and it delivers in spades. Believe me, this is a full meal: an unabashedly earnest murder mystery that’s tender, funny, and filled to the brim with heart.
But this isn’t just Babe meets Agatha Christie. It’s a remarkably poignant meditation on the importance of memory and the cost of forgetting. For a simple children’s story to carry that much thematic weight while also being a genuinely well-crafted, entertaining mystery is such a revelation that I’m half convinced this will be my personal favorite film of 2026.
It’s a funny, smart, and genuinely moving film about belonging, and how love, memory, and the stories we leave behind can echo into eternity. In other words, it’s a perfect movie not just for what it is, but for what it unexpectedly becomes.
Rating: A
