Category Archives: crime

“The Sheep Detectives” Hugh Jackman Mystery Comedy

animation, based on a book, children movies, comedy, crime, family movies, kid movies, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Sheep Detectives is a fun, unabashed movie based on a book. Kyle Balda received the script, and he was immediately moved by it. Best known for his work in animation—including the Minions films, Despicable Me 3, as well as contributions to Pixar and ILM film—he was eager to take on the challenge of the live-action project.

The film starts with life on the farm being idyllic with rolling green acres, quiet solitude, and the gentle hum of sheep chatter.

Fleece, Clues, and Shenanigans

Each night, George, played by Hugh Jackman, a ruggedly charming shepherd, sits outside his Airstream and reads murder mysteries aloud to his devoted flock. Unaware that they’re not only listening, but trying to solve the cases themselves.

Hugh Jackman as George Hardy in THE SHEEP DETECTIVES
Photo credit: Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
© 2026 Amazon Content Services LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Silence in the Fields, Secrets in the Shadows

One morning, that peaceful routine ends in shatters. The sheep discover George dead. Determined to solve the untimely demise of the man they loved, the flock begins to investigate the murder.

A Rural Mystery with Bite

Narrowing down a curious list of suspects from a long-lost daughter to the village butcher, the film is a classic whodunit, like the books the sheep love.

But they’re not the only ones on the case. An ambitious young reporter, drawn by the story, abandons his assignment covering the local cultural festival to chase the mystery. Meanwhile, a bumbling yet persistent police officer struggles to stay ahead of a town buzzing with gossip, secrets, and buried grudges.

Beneath the Quiet Lies the Truth

As the investigation unfolds, the sheep offer more than clever deductions. Through their eyes, we gain a surprising and poignant perspective on human nature, memory, and the ties that bind us. In the end, this unlikely group of detectives proves that insight can come from the most unexpected places—and that even the quietest voices may hold the key to the truth.

Shear Genius at Work

Using both live-action and animation, the live and voice casts are stellar, starring Nicholas Braun, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Hong Chau, Emma Thompson, Tosin Cole, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Conleth Hill, and Mandeep Dhillon.

slow horses with gary oldman

“Slow Horses” Season 4 Storyline

Apple TV, based on a book, British, crime, drama, episodic,

Slow Horses is a darkly humorous espionage drama that follows a dysfunctional team of British intelligence agents who serve in a dumping ground department of MI5 known unaffectionately as Slough House. Season four opens with a bombing that detonates personal secrets, rocking the already unstable foundations of Slough House.

Gary Oldman stars as Jackson Lamb, the brilliant but misanthropic leader of the spies. The spies end up at Slough House due to career-ending mistakes, frequently blundering through the smoke and mirrors of the espionage world.

The returning ensemble cast includes Kristin Scott Thomas, Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, Rosalind Eleazar, Christopher Chung, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Kadiff Kirwan, and Jonathan Pryce.

Apple TV Cowboy Cartel

“Cowboy Cartel” Trailer

Apple TV, crime, documentary, true stories
Cowboy Cartel documentary

Cowboy Cartel is a four-part documentary series featuring the remarkable story of a rookie FBI agent. Scott Lawson cracked the case of one of Mexico’s most ruthless cartels, Los Zetas and the multimillion-dollar money laundering operation they ran through the heart of the American Quarter Horse racing industry.

The documentary is an unbelievable true story of an unlikely hero from rural Tennessee. Lawson’s investigation took down the Treviño brothers, the leaders of Los Zetas, one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico. While the Treviños terrorized thousands in their pursuit of power, money and influence, Lawson risked his life on a hunch.

He tracked the brother’s racehorse transactions in the United States, infiltrating the deadly cartel and uncovering their international money laundering operations.

Cowboy Cartel features first-time interviews with FBI agent Scott Lawson, who broke the case; IRS agent Steve Pennington; Irving police officers Steve Junker, Brian Schutt and Kim Williams; Assistant United States Attorney Doug Gardner; Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Ginger Thompson; and Joe Tone, the author of “Bones: Brothers, Horses, Cartels, and the Borderland Dream,” among many others. 

Clearly, Apple TV continues to expand its nonfiction programming, adding Cowboy Cartel to the list, which includes The Dynasty New England Patriots, Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend and Stephen Curry: Underrated.

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck

“The Instigators” Poster and Trailer

Apple TV, comedy, crime, , ,

Doug Liman directed The Instigators. The story follows Rory, played by Matt Damon, and Cobby, played by Casey Affleck, who are reluctant partners. One is a desperate father, and the other is an ex-con thrown together to pull off a robbery of the ill-gained earnings of a corrupt politician.

But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police but also by backward bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist, played by Hong Chau, to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture—or worse.

Written by Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck, The Instigators also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Paul Walter Hauser, Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina, and Toby Jones, with Jack Harlow and Ron Perlman.

Other films directed by Doug Liman:

Road House

Edge of Tomorrow

The Bourne Identity

American Made

Chaos Walking

Apple TV “Sugar” With Collen Farrell

Apple TV, crime, drama, episodic, mystery

Starring and executive produced by Colin Farrell, Sugar seems a contemporary, unique take on one of the most popular and significant genres in literary, motion picture, and television history.

It’s a private detective story that follows John Sugar, played by Farrell, an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel.

Olivia is the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth the Siegel family secrets, some very recent and others long-buried.

Sugar also offers us a clever science-fiction twist, so be ready for it.

“Peter Five Eight” Trailer, Clips, Poster and Images

crime, drama, ,

Michael Zaiko Hall wrote and directed Peter Five Eight. The story follows a charismatic man in black, played by Kevin Spacey, an assassin with no conscience.

At the behest of his shadowy boss, played by Jake Weber, Peter uncovers the truth about the seemingly glamorous real estate agent, played by Jet Jandreau.

Taking place in a small mountain community, Peter focuses on Brenda, played by Rebecca de Mornay, for information that reveals the real estate agent is an unhinged alcoholic with a dark secret.

“The Bikeriders” Trailers, Clips and Posters

based on a book, crime, drama, ,
The Bikeriders

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, The Bikeriders follows the glory days of a 1960s motorcycle gang to its inevitable demise. Danny Lyon’s photo book The Bikeriders inspired the movie with a great cast, including Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Austin Butler and Jodie Comer.

“Boston Strangler” Trailer and Featurette

crime, thriller, true stories

Produced by Ridley Scott and directed by Matt Ruskin, Boston Strangler stars Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon.

Knightley plays Loretta McLaughlin, a reporter who becomes the first person to connect the series of murders. She breaks the story of the Boston Strangler with Jean Cole. They challenge the sexism of the early 1960s by tirelessly reporting the city’s most notorious serial killer.

Also starring are Chris Cooper and Alessandro Nivola.

“Amsterdam,” Huge Cast Depicting Social Ills of the 1930s

comedy, crime, drama,

David O. Russell directs an all-star cast about a story in the 1930s. Three friends witness a murder and are framed for doing it. While trying to clear themselves, they stumble upon an unbelievable plot in American history.