Review: Black Sheep

Black Sheep (2006) is certainly an interesting film. It comes from New Zealand and certainly doesn't seem to be trying to break any stereotypes as there are quite a few well-defined ones in here. It's a horror comedy and while I can't say it's a genre I am familiar with this film does have a few scary scenes as well as a bit of entertaining humour.

This film is a lot like Resident Evil but with sheep. A farmer is experimenting with genetic engineering and when some environmentalists spill some waste from the facility they cause the sheep to start eating meat and attacking people. In addition whoever is bitten by a sheep turns into one. This leads to a race to survive and contain the outbreak for the protagonists. The humour is mainly provided by one of the environmentalist who makes a variety of new-age quips about their chakra and provides scented candles.

For furs it could make for entertaining viewing as there's an animal twist on the zombie theme as well as a few anthro sheep and, albeit unimpressive, transformation scenes. It's not for sensitive viewers however. As a horror movie there are scenes of graphic violence. Another point which will possibly lose the film some favour is the undercurrent of bestiality. It is implied that that was engaged in by one of the characters, leading to an amusing few lines of dialogue, a different character is humped by a sheep while disguising himself and, near the end, one of the characters has their penis bitten.

All in all I would recommend watching it as it isn't a bad movie and the use of a familiar and unintimidating animal like a sheep makes the horror a lot more tangible. In that way, despite the gratuitous bending of facts, it comes across as more believable than aliens or monsters. A similar, and older, film which could be of interest is 'The Pack' where feral dogs attack and terrorise an island community.

Overall Black Sheep has received positive reviews and has been nominated for and won a number of awards; the 2007 Brussels Golden Raven, the 2007 Gérardmer Special Jury Prize and Audience Prize, and the 2008 Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form.