POPCORN REVIEWSS

Based on the novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann and written by Craig Mazin, The Sheep Detectives opens on a heartwarming account with the introduction of the protagonist George Hardy (Hugh Jackman). The setting remains that of a sleepy town of Denbrook – where meadows form the playground of sheep amidst the presence of their shepherd. George remains a warm character, quietly living a life of human isolation and spending most of his time with his herd of sheep. He is known to read them murder mystery novels as a bedtime story, something that forms the logical foundation of the drama. But more importantly, he treats his herd with utmost care and love – at times even more than the human vultures around him.

It is interesting on how each sheep is given a personality of its own – Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who is obsessed with murder mysteries and has mastered the art of guessing the killer, Mopple (Chris O’Dowd) who has the ability to retain memories unlike the rest of the herd, and Sebastian (Bryan Cranston) who is an adopted sheep known to isolate himself from the group. The suspect list with a nod to Knives Out is introduced even before the crime is committed – George’s shady former business partner Caleb (Tosin Cole), town’s butcher Ham (Conleth Hill), his nosey neighbour Beth (Hong Chau), the reverand Hillcoate (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith). This, until George ends up dead one night – extending the list of suspects to his estranged daughter Rebecca (Molly Gordon), her lawyer Lydia (Emma Thompson) and a visiting reporter Elliot (Nicholas Galitzine). The stage is set for the bumbling and naive officer Tim (Nicholas Braun) to take over the investigation!

One of the core dynamics of the drama remains the heartfelt bond that George shares with his herd of sheep – so much so that much of the deeper themes of mortality and herd mentality are intertwined in this dynamic. It is interesting on how Lily and the others witness ‘death’ for the first time, even as a character exclaims that this is a ‘game’ on whoever moves first loses. This, until reality strikes while shattering their perception about immortality – and how even sheep turn into clouds.

It is also interesting on how the writing taps into the concept of memory – a feature that isn’t always restricted to happiness but also forms the basis of loss and despair. In a scene, you see a precursor to this statement even as Lily asks the herd to ‘forget’ an event while requesting Mopple (who is the only one known to retain memory) not to remind the group about the same. It highlights a form of escapism that is circled back to a much deeper event involving a specific death later on in the film – even as the sheep characters begin to question the importance of memory. Is memory only restricted to trauma? This, while a character reminds the herd on how it is important to have happy memories about an individual too.

There are sporadic themes of animal cruelty, some integrated as a part of the investigation, and the others being a part of a flashback. But an important trait sandwiched between these themes remains that of unity – a trait that has an arc of its own. So while the common sentiment remains that of isolation amongst the herd, it later develops into a sense of togetherness – even as Lily following a tragedy, accepts the little ‘Winter Lamb’ who is outcast from the group.

The investigation itself has traces of humour featuring the character of Tim who is naive, and is helped by the Lily and her clan. The subtext remains a highly symbiotic relationship between humans and animals with interchangeable bouts of intelligence who work together for the betterment of the planet – in this case, solving the mystery. The twists and turns coupled with the one-liners are sharp but also heartfelt, even while managing to keep you engaged throughout.

The mystery in itself isn’t as strong given how much of the characters aren’t given importance, something that doesn’t always fuel the guessing game. But I had to remind myself that this is a kids’ film and so it did not really need to be complex in the first place. The revelation at the end itself felt slightly dated with the exposition as compared to a more layered revelation – but despite that, the heart of the drama is in the right place while leading upto a heartwarming finale. And yes, wait for the post credit scene that has an audio – enough to put a smile on your face.