Hugh Jackman's Near-Perfect 2026 Whodunit Movie Is A Streaming Hit On Prime Video

What if we told you that a film called "The Sheep Detectives" is one of the best movies of 2026 so far? It doesn't matter if you believe us because that's the stone-cold truth, and you're denying yourself one of life's simple pleasures by failing to tune in, especially now that it's available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

In fact, as of this writing, "The Sheep Detectives" is the most-watched film on the platform (via FlixPatrol) after garnering strong word-of-mouth during its theatrical run. The film has an outlandish premise involving a shepherd, George Hardy (Hugh Jackman), winding up murdered. It's up to his flock to figure out what happened, using what they learned in the mystery novels George used to read to them. 

It's a movie that opens with murder, but is still delightfully cozy. And the CGI sheep are adorable, managing to be both realistic and expressive enough to offer some prime physical comedy. Depending on how familiar you are with murder mystery tropes, the ending of "The Sheep Detectives" might be predictable. But the destination comes second to the journey, as these sheep crack the case while ruminating on the meaning of death. Heavy stuff for a kids' movie. 

If you need any further convincing to watch "The Sheep Detectives" on Prime Video, know that it's Hugh Jackman's highest rated film on Rotten Tomatoes. Yes, even higher than "Logan," "Prisoners," and "The Prestige." The critics' rating stands at 95% while audiences have given it a 96% on the platform, which puts it among the best detective movies of all time. 

A big reason for those high scores is that it's the kind of kids' movie we don't get a lot of these days. Shirley Li of The Atlantic wrote that it's "the most tonally surprising feature of the year so far, a rare, unabashedly earnest PG-rated film that has enchanted audiences with the deceptively simple power of well-deployed tropes." 

"The Sheep Detectives" has plenty of jokes and physical gags like one might expect, but it also tackles difficult subjects, most notably death. It doesn't sidestep the issue as we see these cute sheep decide how to best remember George. Because that's what love is: It's tempting to forget in order to let go of the grief. But the greatest love we can show someone is remembering them when they're long gone.

Not many kids' movies tackle that kind of material. And hopefully, the reception to "The Sheep Detectives" on Prime Video convinces more studios to take chances on family films that aren't solely comprised of colorful gags.