--- title: "Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom" critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 77 from 15 reviews: 12 positive, 3 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like it, and the reviews are close to unanimous: twelve of thirteen are positive and none is negative. The praise clusters on the gags. Reviewers return to the sight gags, the horror-film references and the wordless, silent-comedy storytelling, and several find Aardman’s stop-motion craft as sharp as ever. Time Out calls it the funniest of the three Shaun features, and Digital Spy finds its mix of silliness for children and horror nods for adults close to perfect. The reservations are mild and cluster on story. Slant Magazine feels the plot is mostly a hook for parodies and plays like a stretched television episode; RogerEbert.com finds the pace occasionally off and thinks it falls short of the first two films; The AV Club calls it too mild to reach beyond its young audience. The Observer, the one mixed review, grants the crisp timing but finds the formula showing. The spread is narrow: nobody dislikes it, and the argument is only over how much it adds. ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2026. The critic finds the film a drolly amusing delight, just as charming as its predecessors, with droll British humor and stop-motion animation. They single out the witty visual and sound gags and the understated style for praise. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review-1236697667/) ## Empire — John Nugent Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2026. The critic praises the third Shaun the Sheep feature as a daft and delightful horror pastiche with admirable commitment to silliness, clever gags for all ages, and Aardman’s signature stop-motion craft remaining sharp. It highlights the warm, witty direction in the feature debuts of Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, confirming the studio’s enduring quality. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom/) ## Radio Times — Laura Rutkowski Rating 4/5. 17 September 2026. The review calls it the biggest Flockload of fun for the franchise, commending the ambitious horror-themed story, technical artistry, plenty of gags, and Shaun’s character growth as a confident leader. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2026. The critic describes it as another delightful stop-motion family charmer packed with gags, pop culture references, loveable characters and a sweet love story, noting its warmth, solid construction and awards potential. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review-aardmans-halloween-adventure-is-a-spooky-stop-motion-delight/5220502.article) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2026. The critic calls it an excellent family film full of top visual gags, throwaway references and clever writing. They single out the sharp, smart script and the sheep's expressive faces and ingenuity in the pumpkin and hair-growth mishap plot. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/sep/13/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review-aardman) ## Time Out — Phil de Semlyen Rating 4/5. 17 September 2026. The critic praises this as Aardman’s delightful and funniest Shaun the Sheep big-screen outing yet, highlighting the wordless storytelling, rapid-fire sight gags, movie references, and puns as the film’s great strengths. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-2026) ## Variety — Guy Lodge Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2026. The critic highlights the film's energetic, ingenuous slapstick, high joke hit rate, and consistent charm across the franchise, calling it an ebulliently daft autumnal escapade perfectly suited for young audiences. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review-1236866749/) ## RogerEbert.com — Brian Tallerico Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2026. The critic praises the film's clever visual gags, physical humor, and silent comedy roots but notes that the pace feels slightly off at times and it does not quite match the standards of the previous two features. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-movie-review-2026) ## Slant Magazine Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 13 September 2026. The plot serves mainly as a vehicle for gags and parodies of horror films. The Aardman stop-motion remains marvelously detailed, with inventive sight gags and references, though the story feels like an extended TV episode. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review/) ## The AV Club — Jacob Oller Rating B-. 15 September 2026. The film is a charming, fun-sized Halloween trifle that introduces kids to classic horror through stop-motion comedy. The critic praises the silly Universal Monsters imagery and tactile stop-motion style but notes it's too mild for crossover appeal. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review-aardman-stop-motion-halloween) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2026. The page is inaccessible, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or complaint is available from the page text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/17/movies/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review.html) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 4/3/3. 16 September 2026. Jenkins finds it a charming but overly familiar sequel that does not justify its existence. He praises the slapstick invention and cheerful set-pieces, especially the village high-street scene. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom) ## The Observer — Wendy Ide Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 18 September 2026. The critic describes it as a playfully genre-literate monster-movie pastiche with sly horror references and crisply timed visual humour. They note it is formulaic but fun. [Read the review](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/wendy-ides-films-of-the-week-resident-evil-queen-at-sea-shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom) ## Digital Spy — Ian Sandwell Rating 5/5. 13 September 2026. The critic calls it a perfect early Halloween treat for families, praising its blend of silly humor for younger viewers and clever horror nods for adults. They single out the expert visual storytelling and sight gags in the dialogue-free stop-motion animation. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a73653729/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review/) ## Collider — Charlie Ridgely Rating 9/10. 13 September 2026. The critic calls the film an absolute delight and a future family Halloween classic that blends classic monster movie tropes with Aardman's signature silent comedy and charm. They single out the skillful stop-motion animation and well-crafted homages to films like Frankenstein and The Wolf Man for praise. [Read the review](https://collider.com/shaun-the-sheep-movie-beast-of-mossy-bottom-review-aardman-wallace-gromit/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/shaun-the-sheep-the-beast-of-mossy-bottom.md