Before we discuss the joys of Kyle Balda’s The Sheep Detectives, we must dwell on the obstacles around it (and there are a few). First, that flat title – possibly suggested by a business mind. I can’t imagine many people looking at the title and being remotely excited by it. Second, this is a difficult genre. Creating an idealised version of a world (aimed at children), it’s hard to preserve the sweetness of the world without making it egregious for adults.

Even most tuned-in cinephiles might not want to take a chance on a film that seems birthed by picture story books for toddlers. Third and final, the whodunnit genre has spread itself thin in the streaming era, after Kenneth Branagh resurrected Hercule Poirot in his Agatha Christie adaptations, and Rian Johnson went on his Knives Out spree with the singular Benoit Blanc and also the web series Poker Face, starring the incredible Natasha Lyonne. These days, it’s hard to make a good whodunnit film without referencing the formula – without making it seem self-conscious. I’m happy to report that Balda’s film conquers all three.

Adapted from the 2005 German novel, Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann [translated by Anthea Bell], Balda’s film tweaks its source material to make it less eccentric. So, an Irish town on the outskirts, is changed to the rolling grasslands outside London. 

George (Hugh Jackman) plays a shepherd devoted to his flock. Spending his days taking........

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