Stephen King just revealed his surprising pick for the must-see movie of 2026. The bestselling author shared his enthusiastic reaction to a Hugh Jackman film that has been winning over audiences and critics alike.
Stephen King loved Hugh Jackman’s The Sheep Detectives
Stephen King took to X (formerly Twitter) on July 6 to share his love for The Sheep Detectives. The author responded to a recommendation from fellow writer Linwood Barclay. King wrote, “I did. Loved it. Sheep don’t die, they turn into clouds.” He also used the post to recommend the show Normal, calling it “like FARGO Lite.”
Barclay had posted his own endorsement of the film the previous day. He urged his followers to watch it, writing, “The Sheep Detectives. Seriously. You have to see it.” King’s reply quickly gained traction, attracting over 200,000 views and 2,500 likes.
The Sheep Detectives is a mystery comedy helmed by Kyle Balda. Craig Mazin wrote the screenplay, basing it on Leonie Swann’s 2005 novel Three Bags Full. The film follows a flock of sheep who investigate the murder of their shepherd.
Hugh Jackman leads the cast as George Hardy, the murdered shepherd. The ensemble also includes Nicholas Braun, Hong Chau, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, and Emma Thompson. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, and Patrick Stewart voice the sheep characters.
The film opened in the United States on May 8. It has since grossed nearly $130 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. Amazon Prime Video began streaming the film on June 24, where it is among the top spots.
Critics have responded warmly to the film overall. On Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 195 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5 out of 10 on IMDb. Further, Metacritic assigned a score of 72 out of 100, while CinemaScore audiences gave it an A-minus grade.
