julia louis dreyfus – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

SHEEP DETECTIVES – Review by Susan Granger

May 12, 2026May 16, 2026 Susan Granger bryan cranston, emma thompson, hong Chau, Hugh Jackman, julia louis dreyfus, Kyle Balda, Leonie Swann, patrick stewart, regina hall, The Sheep Detectives

Sheep Detectives is spring’s most welcome surprise! Hugh Jackman’s live-action whodunit is a family-friendly, comedic adaptation of Leonie Swann’s best-selling 2005 German novel Three Bags Full. The opening credits deliver the first hint of delight – as a plaintive barnyard “Baaa” replaces the traditional roar of the MGM lion.
Set in rural England, the story begins with George Hardy (Jackman), a gentle shepherd who not only feeds, shears and tends to his wooly flock but also reads mystery novels aloud to them at bedtime, unaware that they’re actually listening. Then – egad! – late one night, George is murdered.

Reviews

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

May 4, 2026May 8, 2026 Valerie Kalfrin bryan cranston, emma thompson, hong Chau, Hugh Jackman, julia louis dreyfus, Kyle Balda, Leonie Swann, patrick stewart, regina hall, The Sheep Detectives

The family-friendly whodunit The Sheep Detectives is no mere Sherlock Hooves. This clever yarn about sheep who nose into their shepherd’s death becomes a surprisingly tender meditation on grief and how we keep memories of loved ones alive. While its mystery isn’t as knotty as one of Agatha Christie’s (or Rian Johnson’s, for that matter), The Sheep Detectives weaves a warm spell. With its amiable humor, an appropriate comeuppance, and well-earned teary moments, it’s a shear delight.

Reviews

THE SHEEP DETECTIVES – Review by T.J. Callahan

May 4, 2026 T. J. Callahan bryan cranston, emma thompson, hong Chau, Hugh Jackman, julia louis dreyfus, Kyle Balda, patrick stewart, regina hall, The Sheep Detectives, Three Bags Full

The Sheep Detectives is a mystery comedy directed by Kyle Balda (Minions), written by Craig Mazin (The Last of Us) and adapted from the novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. The PG rated family film also boasts a large ensemble cast including Emma Thompson, Bryan Cranston, Regina Hall, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Patrick Stewart and Hong Chau. Some are live and some are voice actors. That’s because The Sheep Detectives is a cross between Knives Out and Babe with a puzzle within a puzzle.

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THUNDERBOLTS* – Review by Cortland Jacoby

April 30, 2025May 4, 2025 Cortland Jacoby florence pugh, Jake Shreier, julia louis dreyfus, Marvel Cinematic Universe, mcu, Sebastian Stan, Thunderbolts*

Misfits. Assemble. After multiple movies and projects where they were supporting characters, Marvel has finally brought its most dysfunctional antiheroes together in Thunderbolts*. They’re here to kick butt and take names – or at least try to. As we’ve seen in Black Widow and Falcon and the Winter Soldier, corrupt Contessa and current CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has approached numerous assassins and field agents to join what we thought was a league of antiheroes. Each of them, fed up with being a pawn, approaches her with the idea of one last gig.

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THUNDERBOLTS* – Review by T.J. Callahan

April 30, 2025May 1, 2025 T. J. Callahan florence pugh, julia louis dreyfus, Marvel Cinematic Universe, mcu, Sebastian Stan, Thunderbolts*

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is celebrating its 17th anniversary with the arrival of Thunderbolts*. The 36th film in the MCU, these Thunderbolts have lightning, and they can be very, very frightening. They can also be magnifico…when they’re not squabbling or haunted by their past. They are an unconventional team of antiheroes who are lured to a death trap by crooked CIA chief Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). In order to save their lives and a world that relies on Avengers to keep the peace, these misfits must work through their dysfunctions to complete a dangerous mission that will test their abilities and their mettle.

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THUNDERBOLTS* – Review by Susan Kamyab

April 30, 2025May 1, 2025 Susan Kamyab florence pugh, Jake Shreier, julia louis dreyfus, Marvel Cinematic Universe, mcu, Sebastian Stan, Thunderbolts*

Since the overhaul of Marvel films that have been released since Endgame, it’s been difficult to get excited for any of the upcoming sequel or spinoffs. However, the 36th installment to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thunderbolts* offers something more original and more cathartic than the traditional superhero formula. Thunderbolts* succeeds in doing what Suicide Squad couldn’t, making moviegoers care about a group of powerful outsiders, and create an intriguing backstory that will leave you curious to know more.

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THUNDERBOLTS* – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

April 30, 2025May 5, 2025 Valerie Kalfrin florence pugh, jake schreier, julia louis dreyfus, Marvel Cinematic Universe, mcu, Sebastian Stan, Thunderbolts*

Thunderbolts*, the latest Marvel Studios adventure, at first looks to be yet-another story about a ragtag band forced to work together to save the world from a larger threat—until it passes the midpoint. There, the film twists into something disturbing, then thoughtful and nearly sublime. I didn’t expect a superhero film that played up the jokes in the trailers to become an earnest metaphor for positive mental health and dealing with trauma, but I’m all for it.

Reviews

YOU HURT MY FEELINGS – Review by T.J. Callahan

May 23, 2023May 28, 2023 T. J. Callahan a24, Arian Moayed, julia louis dreyfus, Micaela Watkins, motw, Movie of the Week, nicole holofcener, Tobias Menzies, You Hurt My Feelings

The award winning Julia Louis-Dreyfus andequally decorated writer and director Nicole Holofcener have teamed up again for another slice of life dramady, You Hurt My Feelings. Nicole Holofcener knows how to put real life on the big screen…intelligently. And she’s funny without dumbing down her characters. Every scene , every interaction is something any one of us could have said and/or done at one time or another. You Hurt My Feelings starts off slow, but grows witty and wise as the hour and a half progresses.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 26, 2023: YOU HURT MY FEELINGS

May 21, 2023May 21, 2023 Jennifer Merin a24, Arian Moayed, betsy bozdech, Cate Marquis, jennifer merin, julia louis dreyfus, leslie combemale, liz whittemore, loren king, Micaela Watkins, motw, Movie of the Week, nicole holofcener, Pam Grady, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, Tobias Menzies, You Hurt My Feelings

Writer/director Nicole Holofcener does what she does best in You Hurt My Feelings: Get inside the heads of insecure characters who are at a crossroads in their lives, figuring out how to navigate the thornier aspects of life and love. There’s a lot of big interpersonal drama, but there’s plenty of humor mixed in, too. (How could there not be, with gifted comediennes like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Micaela Watkins playing smart, sophisticated sisters?). Kudos to Holofcener for portraying a marriage that has its bumpy bits but is fundamentally built on genuine affection and frank communication. We may not all talk as expressively as Holofcener’s characters, but we can all take a page from their book and grow through honesty.

Reviews

YOU HURT MY FEELINGS – Review by Sherin Nicole

May 16, 2023May 21, 2023 Sherin Nicole a24, Arian Moayed, julia louis dreyfus, Micaela Watkins, motw, Movie of the Week, nicole holofcener, Tobias Menzies, You Hurt My Feelings

A good piece of storytelling relates to us in multiple ways. You Hurt My Feelings, written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, found its way to me. At first, the nostalgia of movies like You Hurt My Feelings drew me in. Soft giggly indies that revolve around people who are comfortable enough to sweat the small stuff. Funny stories of neuroses and self-examination within the microcosms of families or intimate friend groups. This movie—about an author (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), her therapist husband (Tobias Menzies), their cannabis-selling son (Owen Teague), the author’s interior designer sister (Michaela Watkins), and her actor husband (Arian Moayed)—brought me back to the movies I watched while I was growing up; where the stakes were low but the relationships meant everything (and you could laugh at trouble).

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