‘The Sheep Detectives’ Surprises With 96% RT Score, Becoming Hugh Jackman’s Best-Reviewed Film Yet

It turns out almost no one was quite prepared for The Sheep Detectives to be a critical darling, let alone land at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 28 reviews) in early takes.

The film, shot in early 2024, has gone through multiple delays and was originally titled “Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie.” Amazon/MGM shifted it several times on the release calendar, and it is now set to open on May 8 as counterprogramming against “Mortal Kombat II.”

A project that, on paper, sounds like it was pitched on a whim is now being described as “unexpectedly clever” and “emotionally woolly in the best possible way.” It is currently the highest-rated film of Hugh Jackman’s career, just ahead of “Bad Education” (94%) and “Logan” (93%).

The premise alone should not, by any known cinematic logic, be getting this kind of reception. Based on the novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, Hugh Jackman plays George Hardy, a shepherd who reads detective novels to his sheep without realizing they understand him—until he is found dead, prompting the flock to investigate the murder in their rural valley.

The voice cast includes Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Patrick Stewart, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Bella Ramsey, Brett Goldstein, and Rhys Darby.

Director Kyle Balda is making his live-action debut after a long career at Illumination, where he worked on animated hits such as “Despicable Me 3” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” The screenplay is written by Craig Mazin, best known as the showrunner of The Last of Us, and is adapted from Leonie Swann’s 2005 cozy crime novel “Three Bags Full.”