And how can you not love a devoted shepherd who finishes his day by reading aloud from a Miss Marple-ish murder mystery to his assembled flock? As this tail tale opens, shepherd George Hardy (Hugh Jackman) finishes reading just before the big reveal. And as he retires to his trailer, the flock is seriously annoyed. But their putative leader Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) cuts through all her sheeply comrades’ random guesses to name the real killer. And the next night, it turns out, Lily was right. From this gentle beginning, you see George and Lily have a special relationship.
(But no, Lily and George can’t converse. Humans talk, the sheep understand. The sheep talk to each other, humans just hear bleating.)
The Hardy farm’s tranquility is shattered a few days later when George is discovered dead outside his trailer. The sheep listen as the dufus policeman Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) and visiting reporter Elliot Matthews (Nicholas Galitzine) completely overlook key crime scene clues. They realize: they’ll have to solve the mystery themselves.
Lily, accompanied by Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), eavesdrops on key conversations in town. Most important among them, the reading of George’s will by his lawyer, Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson). Turns out George had major beefs with many of the village residents, to whom he left nothing but stern goodbyes. But the most shocking revelation? George had a twin son and daughter. The son is on a conference line from South Africa. And the daughter? Well, newly arrived Rebecca Hampstead (Molly Gordon), is sitting there at the reading. And when Harbottle announces the next shocker – that George recently redid his will to leave the bulk of his sizeable fortune to Rebecca – suspicious eyes all swivel in Rebecca’s direction.
Determined to see justice done, Lily and Mopple feed clues to sheriff Derry. And it is vastly grin-inducing to see how Derry grows into his role, overcoming his initial infatuation with Rebecca as he uncovers unsettling facts about her past. He begins to wrap the noose of evidence ever tighter around Rebecca’s neck. But he can’t help noticing that, as he stumbles over (quite literally) key clues and guidance, two sheep are always lurking not far away.
See It
If The Sheep Detectives were merely a charming whodunit, it would still be top-notch. But the filmmakers layer in themes that make the story more compelling and touching. In particular, the herd, and Lily in particular, believe that sheep never die, but float up to the sky as clouds. They have the ability to purposefully forget unsettling thoughts and occurrences. And they are burdened by human-like biases against the most vulnerable of their kind, the winter lamb. These traits make their pursuit of the truth of George’s murderer all the more difficult.
Special applause to Nicholas Braun. His journey from well-meaning but bumbling small-town policeman to well-meaning and dedicated pursuer of justice is a joy to watch. Kudos also to the filmmakers for not confining his role to dim-witted comic relief.
Voice work from a bevy of heavy-weights gives each of the wooly detectives a unique personality. Julia Louis-Dreyfus touches us as Lily, who faces hard truths on her path to justice for George. Chris O’Dowd? Just the right blend of comic delivery with serious undertones, helping Lily comes to terms with ideas she’d rather forget. Bryan Cranston gives the proud but aloof Sebastian depth and empathy as he relates how George saved him from a brutal carnival. And who wouldn’t recognize the commanding tones of Patrick Stewart as the aging Sir Richfield?
And then there’s Emma Thompson. From her first line to her last, she commands your attention. She may not have even been trying to outshine her lesser-known human actors. She’s just that brilliant.
The Sheep Detectives might have been just another kids’ movie: some cute talking animals, a few chuckles, a scary midnight interlude, a predictably warm and fuzzy ending. The life lessons that Lily and the herd learn crank up the value a notch, providing both young and old viewers with a little extra to appreciate. It’s chock full of witty dialog, sprinkled with touching insights. And, oh yes, let’s not forget the genuinely Marple-ish reveal as it finally dawns on the suddenly energized policeman Derry who really done it.