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Black Sheep

EMAILPRINTIFC Films

Black Sheep reviews
62
7.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 17 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 8 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Comedy  |  Foreign  |  Horror

Written by: Jonathan King

Directed by: Jonathan King

Release Date:
Theatrical: June 22, 2007
DVD: October 9, 2007

Running Time: 87 minutes, Color

Origin: New Zealand

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Peter Feeney, Tammy Davis, Glenis Levestam, Tandi Wright, Oliver Driver, and Matthew Chamberlain

Terrified of sheep and dosed up on therapy, Henry Oldfield (Meister) returns to his family's farm to sell out his older brother Angus (Feeney), unaware that something baaaaad is going on: Angus' reckless genetic engineering program. When a pair of inept environmental activists release a mutant lamb from Angus' laboratory onto the farm, thousands of sheep are turned into bloodthirsty predators. (IFC Films)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

78

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

It's smart; it's silly; it's – kill me now – shear terror.

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75

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

It manages the weird feat of making a flock of sheep bounding across a meadow seem vaguely menacing.

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75

Premiere Eric Alt

You'll laugh, you'll groan, you'll never buy wool again.

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75

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

Never very frightening, but it's clever and fun, with a memorable amount of humor and gore.

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75

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Horror buffs in search of a fresh take on the usual grue should embrace it wholeheartedly.

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70

Los Angeles Times Sam Adams

The cast, including Tammy Davis as a handyman and Glenis Levestam as a housekeeper with a taste for innards, hits its marks flawlessly, even when the material isn't first-rate. Like "Shaun of the Dead," Black Sheep is at once exhilarating and self-deprecating, knowledgeable without being fannish, clever but not too clever.

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70

Village Voice Jim Ridley

The cartoonish overkill that often makes Black Sheep a hoot proves wearying over an entire movie: The broad comedy and one-note characters eventually cancel out the horror, leaving elaborate set pieces that are more frantic than funny.

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70

The Hollywood Reporter Luke Sader

A giddily subversive addition to the age-old cinema tradition of the horror comedy.

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70

Variety Jay Weissberg

Endearingly amusing horror pic.

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70

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

Jolly good fun.

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70

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Once you have seen a sheep munching on a bloody human leg, you may think twice about your next leg of lamb. On the other hand maybe you'll be inspired to seek vengeance. To provoke one of these responses -- vegetarianism or a defiant meat eating -- may be the point of this odd, amusing film.

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63

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

Both the humor and horror are as broad as the side of the Oldfields' barn, but King and the cast are clearly having fun.

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63

New York Post Kyle Smith

This is a one-joke skit that trots in a straight line, and your enjoyment of it will depend entirely on how many times you need to see gonzo sheep rip out human entrails.

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50

Film Threat Pete Vonder Haar

Unfortunately, Black Sheep takes so long to get going and misses so many easy opportunities for classic comedy it has to be regarded as a noble failure.

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50

The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray

The gold standard for the modern monster movie remains "Tremors," which combines genuine thrills with clever plot twists and distinctive characters. By contrast, Black Sheep has a bunch of one-note living jokes running around willy-nilly while being chased by killer sheep.

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50

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

I did like seeing the (fakey-looking) sheep take flying neck-high leaps at various human throats, in scenes recalling the killer rabbit in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." And I enjoyed the Kiwi dialects. And I suspect King's next film will be better.

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30

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

Stunning vistas of New Zealand's rolling countryside aren't enough to carry this lame 2006 horror spoof.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.2 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Zoey gave it a4:
Hmm...this movie was entertaining, but only because me and my friends saw it as a comedy instead of a horror movie. Seriously, we were laughing out loud! Problem is, I don't think that was its intention.

Matt H gave it a1:
Awful film didn't even wait for the end.

Ray R gave it a9:
Absurdly funny. A classic horror/gore/comedy. A must see if you enjoyed Shaun of the Dead and/or Evil Dead.

Sara gave it a9:
Bloody awesome! A must for anyone who likes smart movies, schlock-horror, silly amounts of gore and of course, sheep. Highly recommended!

Dave H. gave it a9:
It's quite good - Actually, it's really really funny, zombie sheep ripping people apart! You can't compete with that.

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