A couple of Sundays ago, we heard Jesus talk about the Good Shepherd: “The sheep hear his voice, as he calls his own sheep by name…. [H]e walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice.” (Jn 10:3-4) I have to admit that I always assumed this was just a metaphor or a bit of Galilean folk wisdom. But it’s true: Sheep, who rank among the more intelligent farm animals, respond to their names and recognize their shepherd by sound and by sight. And why not? Shepherds protect their flock, feed them, groom them, treat their injuries and illnesses. No wonder Jesus compared himself to one.

But what happens when a shepherd needs help? What if, say, the shepherd was murdered but the human authorities are sure he died of natural causes? In “The Sheep Detectives,” the new film directed by Kyle Balda and written by Craig Mazin, creator of “Chernobyl” and “The Last of Us,” it falls to the sheep to expose the truth and find justice for their fallen shepherd.

Based on the German mystery novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, “The Sheep Detectives” takes place in the cozy English hamlet of Denbrook. The shepherd in question, George (Hugh Jackman), is a bit of an outsider in the otherwise close-knit community, more at home with his sheep than his fellow human beings. He not only knows each member of his flock by name but is acquainted with their personalities and peculiarities: the intelligent and confident Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the patient and thoughtful Mopple (Chris O’Dowd), the rambunctious twin rams Reggie and Ronnie (both Bret Goldstein). 

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George ends each day by reading Agatha Christie-style whodunnits to the sheep, assuming they like the sound even if they can’t follow the plot. But the sheep understand perfectly and are deeply invested in the stories. On the way back to the barn for the night they debate the possible solutions, but it’s always Lily who solves the mystery first. But when George dies under mysterious circumstances, she finds herself with a real murder to solve.

Like any good whodunnit, the suspects are plentiful and well-motivated. They include a rival shepherd (Tosin Cole), a prickly innkeeper (Hong Chau), a slick London lawyer (Emma Thompson), and George’s own daughter, Rebecca (Molly Gordon), with whom he recently reunited after giving her up for adoption. Even the local priest (Kobna Holdbrook-Smith), pointedly described as a shepherd of men, isn’t above suspicion. Unfortunately the man tasked with solving the crime, Denbrook’s one-man police department Tim Derry (Nicholas Braun) is virtually clueless, aided only by Elliot (Nicholas Galitzine), a young journalist hoping to crack a career-making story.

Lily convinces Mopple and Sebastian (Bryan Cranston), an ornery ram with a tragic past, to help her unravel the mystery. As old secrets and betrayals come to light, the sheep have to find creative ways to communicate their discoveries to the bumbling Tim, as their bleating is understood only by other animals. Along the way Lily confronts her own prejudices, discovering—as Tim does—that grace can come from the most unexpected sources.

“The Sheep Detectives” is a refreshing rarity: a family film that will appeal to the entire family. Amazon MGM is cannily releasing it on Mother’s Day weekend, and it’s the perfect movie to see with your parents or your kids (or grandkids). Younger audiences will enjoy the silly, sheep-related humor and colorful characters. Even the murder mystery elements are handled gently enough to not upset kids. (I attended a screening with my 10-year-old daughter, who had a great time.) But the writing is also clever and emotionally subtle enough to engage adults, and the mystery “plays fair” by whodunnit rules, allowing you to piece the puzzle together alongside our four-legged detectives.

Balda, the director, cut his teeth as an animator, co-directing films for Illumination including several titles in the “Despicable Me” franchise. That skillset serves him well in making the CGI sheep feel both alive and emotionally expressive. You won’t mistake them for real sheep, but they have more personality than some of the more photorealistic creations in other films. The cast (voice actors and live-action alike) is extremely charming, all notables from television or indie comedies (in addition to those already mentioned, the flock includes Patrick Stewart and Regina Hall).

The film also has more thematic meat on the bone than you might expect from a movie about, well, talking sheep. Lily wrestles with the reality of death and the mystery of suffering. The sheep, we learn, have a concept of the afterlife but not of death: They believe that at the end of life, they painlessly transform into clouds and ascend into the sky. (If this sounds silly, the sheep are just as mystified by the human God who, as Sebastian explains, is both lamb and shepherd, invisible, made of bread, and eaten on Sundays; “Poor God,” Mopple says).

These sheep, it turns out, have the ability to willfully forget painful memories and so have simply erased every experience of pain and loss. But Lily learns that if she wants justice for George she will have to remember, even though it hurts. Memory is how we learn and benefit from our experiences, and how we keep those we have lost alive. It’s a testament to our relationships extending beyond the boundaries of this life, to the ultimate triumph of love over death.

It’s a simple but powerful (and, increasingly, countercultural) idea: that to do good, sometimes you have to feel bad. There are more important things than comfort, and a measure of suffering is the price we pay in order to live with our eyes and hearts open. It’s a paradox: to truly be alive, we must face death. But many things that sound ridiculous are, nevertheless, true. Sheep know their own names. God can be both lamb and shepherd. And a murder mystery about talking sheep can teach you something about life.

“The Sheep Detectives” releases in theaters nationwide on May 8.