Black Sheep (2006)

A Killer What?

Sheep. Specifically sheep that have been injected with some sort of genetically modified virus that turns them into what are essentially zombies. People bitten by the sheep turn into giant were-sheep monsters as well.

Is It Any Good?

It’s great! Since Peter Jackson has abandoned splatter comedies for over-indulgent big budget yawnfests there’s only really been one movie that feels like the heir apparent to Bad Taste and Braindead, and that’s Black Sheep.

Made in New Zealand with special effects from Jackson’s frequent collaborators Weta Workshop, Black Sheep is a goofy splatter comedy about a man with a phobia of sheep brought on by a childhood trauma returning to his family sheep farm where his abusive older brother has begun illegal genetic experimentation with human DNA to make the perfect sheep.

The movie does a wonderful job of balancing horror and humor, acknowleding the ridiculousness of its premise without ever dipping too far into parody (though one joke involving mint sauce burning a weresheep like holy water would hurt a vampire comes very close). The characters similarly have goofy traits but also real pathos and depth that keeps the viewer invested in their journey.

Of course the big show piece are the special effects. In addition to some very lifelike sheep puppets the movie has a ton of great gore gags and some really impressive body horror applications including a transformation scene that hearkens to the famous scene in An American Werewolf in London.

Black Sheep is a triumph of a horror comedy and a personal favorite of mine. If you haven’t seen it then you absolutely need to.

Watch, Toss, or Buy?

Buy it, watch it, savor it.