The Sheep Detectives—Addressing Grief through Comedy

Comedy can often be a way to address some of the most difficult subjects about what it means to be human. The Sheep Detectives delightfully does that, using sheep as the protagonists! Directed by Kyle Balda and written by Craig Mazin, based on the book Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story, the film is not only humorous but also a clever whodunit that keeps audiences guessing.

George, the shepherd (Hugh Jackman), loves his flock and knows each of them by name. He believes sheep are the kindest creatures on earth. He writes to his daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon) that “the secret to happiness is—sheep!” In this live-action film, Kyle Balda brings the sheep to life using puppets, animation, and visual effects, fitting them into the idyllic English countryside. George’s flock includes a cast of characters, such as Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the smartest of the sheep and a natural leader, Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), the patient and conscientious one, the elder Sr Richfield (Patrick Stewart), and the proud Sebastian (Bryan Cranston), who regularly disappears from the flock only to return when needed.

Every night, George reads mystery stories to his flock, assuming they don’t understand a word. To humans, the sheep only baa, but among themselves, they carry on regular conversations. Most people believe sheep are stupid because of their forgetfulness, but when tragedy strikes on the farm, chaos and confusion descend upon the flock. They cannot and do not want to forget those they love. So, the sheep step in to become the detectives. In their grief, they are determined to investigate suspects and solve the case just like in the novels George read to them.

Lacking detective skills, the town police officer (Nicholas Braun) struggles to solve the murder case. He rounds up the suspects to question them all, as Lily and Mopple show up to feed him clues that help to bring the truth to light.

The film has more depth to the story than at first glance. Audiences may think they’re going into a harmless animated family movie with talking animals. What they get is a charming story that dives deep into important topics, such as the meaning of life, death, friendship, grief, belonging, and subtly even faith. As a Catholic, the funniest part is when Lily, Mopple, and Sebastian rush into town and pass by a Church. Sebastian explains that a Church is God’s house and that humans call God “Shepherd.” “He’s invisible, he’s bread, he’s a lamb, and they eat him on Sundays.” As hilarious as it comes out, it is amazingly on point theologically.

As the mystery develops, we detect the beauty of the sheep who seek belonging as much as human beings do. Death causes grief for the loss of those we love, but we go on with life, grateful for their presence and the lessons they taught us. The Sheep Detectives could have been another run-of-the-mill kid’s story, but instead it becomes the most unexpected and delightful film of the year.