Meghan Pacharis
Staff Writer
As someone who works at a movie theater, I see a lot of movie posters. Over spring break, I was standing at work when a certain poster caught my eye. It was a large, blue poster with sheep heads arranged in a circle. The movie was called “The Sheep Detectives.” I knew I needed the poster for my new apartment bedroom. Little did I know that it would become one of the best children’s movies I had seen in a long time.
“The Sheep Detectives,” released in May 2026, follows a flock of sheep, voiced by Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, and Regina Hall, as they try to solve a murder mystery about who killed their beloved shepherd, played by Hugh Jackman. In a time full of remakes and sequels, we received an original movie that portrays joy, sadness, mystery, and many emotions that resonate deeply.
This movie is funny. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments for audiences of all ages. It’s a movie with talking sheep, and the humor is light and enjoyable.
Beyond the humor, we learn about important aspects of life, including a sense of belonging. The film gives the idea of “the winter lamb,” a lamb born in the off-season. While not necessarily true to real life, the movie shows this lamb as an outcast, and the rest of the flock avoids it. This introduces another good lesson for children: That we are all the same despite our differences. Everyone wants to feel like they belong.
While people may be concerned that we are showing murder to children, the takeaway from this movie is not supposed to be the introduction of murder, but instead the introduction of grief. Grief is hard. It’s not pretty, fun, or something you want to remember, but if no one remembers those who have died, who are they? Remembering the good memories outweighs remembering the fact that they are gone.
Showing children grief is important. Death is a part of life. Kids need to see grief to know that it’s okay to feel strong emotions, including ones that might not feel good.
When you see this movie at face value, it is good. When you see this movie for what it is, it’s incredible. Maybe I’m crazy for finding depth in a children’s animal movie, or maybe I’m the only one truly paying attention.
