There are spring lambs, and one adorable winter lamb, shunned by the flock, in The Sheep Detectives, an unlikely winner of a film that features animals created using CGI (computer-generated imagery) based on 3D scans of real sheep, voices from a who’s who of favorite actors, along with performances from some live ones, and beautiful scenery in White Pond Farm in Surrey and Hambleden Square in Buckinghamshire.

George (Hugh Jackman) lives in a trailer and lovingly watches over his flock of sheep. He gives them all names, mixes their food with a formula he’s created, and reads to them each night from a compendium of mystery stories. After each reading, the sheep retire to the barn where they debate which character might have committed the crime. Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), George’s favorite – later, we find out why – often guesses right. 

When George is not tending his sheep, he’s writing letters to a woman, describing his farm and the sheep and urging her to visit. Beth (Hong Chau), who runs the local store, is in love with George and upset he is writing to another woman. She manages to intercept his latest letter, but tells no one what it says.

The butcher (with “Ham” stitched on his apron, played by Conleth Hill) wants to buy George’s flock, as does Caleb (Tosin Cole), who has a flock and supplies sheep to Ham.  George, however, protects his sheep, using them only for wool.

George’s farm is such an idyllic place for the sheep that  they never leave, not even to cross the road into the village. When the topic of death comes up, Lily and others explain to the lambs that when sheep die, they turn into clouds. Any bad memories can be erased with a member of the flock counting to three. 

(L to R) Chris O’Dowd as the voice of Mopple and Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the voice of Lily (Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved)

All that changes one morning when George is found dead. When the police arrive, actually the village’s only officer, Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun), declares that George died of a heart attack. Lily and the other sheep know better. George has been murdered and, if Officer Derry won’t find the killer, they will.

Two new women arrive in the village: Rebecca (Molly Gordon, you’ll recognize her from The Bear), is George’s biological daughter and is the woman he’s been writing to; and, Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson), a lawyer who has come to read George’s will. In his will, George lists the people in town, but doesn’t match them with some descriptions: “a fool, bad shepherd, a winter lamb, and two murderters.” When everyone gathers to hear the will, they learn that besides his farm and sheep, George had $30 million paid by a company who bought his formula for the food he had been feeding to his sheep.

Nicholas Braun stars as Officer Tim Derry and Nicholas Galitzine as Elliot Matthews (Photo credit: Alex Bailey
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved)

With a motive, Officer Perry, assisted by Elliot (Nicholas Galitzine), a reporter who showed up to cover a town fair, set out to solve the murder. They’re given some help when Liliy and Mopple (voiced by Chris Dowd), risk leaving the farm (how they cross the road is fun to watch), to drop off one of George’s books on how to solve a crime. With columns listing “means, motive, opportunity,” Rebecca jumps to the top of the list since she will inherit the bulk of George’s estate. Lily and Mopple, however, know she’s innocent. Now they must prove it.

There’s an innocence among the sheep, but even this flock is prone to discrimination. Winter lambs, those born before the much lauded spring lambs, are shunned. The Winter Lamb (voiced by Tommy Birchall), although loved and protected by George, isn’t allowed to play with the spring lambs, or even seek shelter or solace from the adult sheep. There isn’t a parent or child in the audience who won’t relate to this dynamic.

Patrick Stewart as the voice of Sir Ritchfield (Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved)

There are other themes that resonate. Despite their resilience, the sheep, like all animals, are dependent upon people. Caleb and Ham are the villains here, and, with George gone, who will protect Lily and the others from being butchered? In fact, who steps up to protect the vulnerable, not just in the film, but in our world?

Conquering fear is another thing the sheep have to deal with. The village may be only two miles away, but getting there, being out in the open with no protection, is scary. There’s one humorous moment when they pass a church. Sebastian (voiced by Brian Cranston), an elder, explains another shepherd who also protected his sheep. 

Emma Thompson stars as Lydia Harbottle (Photo credit: Alex Bailey © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved)

CGI can sometimes produce characters that are wooden. Here, the sheep are so believable they blend into their environment, rather than seem to have just been dropped in. Performances, whether by the live actors or those voicing the characters, are terrific. Jackman is totally believable as someone who would adopt an entire flock and search endlessly for the daughter he’s lost. Thompson, besides nailing the patronizing attitude of the lawyer, seems to be having the time of her life.

Nicholas Braun stars as Officer Tim Derry and Molly Gordon as Rebecca Hampstead (Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios © 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved)

Braun’s Officer Perry transforms from the bumbling cop to a skilled detective, with help from the sheep, of course. Gordon’s Rebecca has sweet moments with the Winter Lamb, echoing George’s embrace of the flock’s outcast.

There’s a great team behind this film. Based on the German book, Three Bags Full, by Leonie Swann, the screenplay is by Craig Mazin (Dune), directed by Kyle Balda (Minions), executive producers are Christopher Miller and Phil Lord (Project Hail Mary), production design by Suzie Davies (Conclave), with visual effects and score by Christophe Beck (Frozen).

The Sheep Detectives is a great film for both adults and children, although some of what happens might go over the heads of younger ones. A five year-old who sat behind us became restless when some of the dialogue went on a bit too long. But for most of the time, he was riveted to the screen. Parents might want to use the film as a vehicle to have some interesting conversations with their children, no matter how old they are.

Top: (L to R) Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the voice of Lily, the sheep, and Hugh Jackman as George Hardy (Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios © 2025 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved)