Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (2026)
After a limited release schedule in the 2010s, the 2020s have marked a resurgence for Aardman Animations and their feature films, with sequels to multiple popular Aardman properties getting released nearly every year. This path started in 2020 with the release of A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, a sequel to 2015's Shaun the Sheep Movie, and continues this year with Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom. Kicking off the Halloween season, The Beast of Mossy Bottom sees the town of Mossingham preparing for Halloween. The sheep are growing pumpkins to carve into jack-o'-lanterns, decorations are being hung up around town, and the Halloween Hoedown is quickly approaching. The Farmer (John Sparkes) hopes to bring the local Vet (Nina Sosanya) to the celebration, but things go wrong when he clumsily destroys his sheep's pumpkins by accident. Determined to regrow the pumpkins, Shaun (Justin Fletcher) creates a formula that will rapidly grow new pumpkins from seeds. The Farmer also ends up using this serum to regrow his hair, finally building the confidence to ask The Vet out. However, both seen in the pumpkins and The Farmer's hair, the serum is too powerful, and whatever it is put on continues to grow and grow. As The Farmer becomes completely covered in hair, the Beast of Mossy Bottom is born.
Coming as the perfect start of the spooky season, it comes as no surprise that The Beast of Mossy Bottom is an absolute delight. Aardman continually makes wholesome films, maintaining much of the same personality and style that has made their work so iconic for decades. This is seen most strongly in the film's comedy, often relying on physical comedy and timing rather than dialogue. The studio has this down to a science, and the comedy in The Beast of Mossy Bottom is some of their most consistent work in recent memory. Taking a page out of Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, the transformation of The Farmer into an innocent yet massive creature who is constantly making a mess as he stumbles through town while everyone thinks he is a dangerous monster leads to plenty of natural comedy. While none of the writing behind this comedy feels overly complex or revolutionary compared to previous Aardman works, the execution of the ideas is strong, and the film has very few down periods where the comedy doesn't land enough to feel entertaining.
The charm of the film is extended into its fall setting, with the screen being painted with autumn colors and immaculate spooky vibes. The stop-motion animation is strong as always, with Aardman mastering the form with creative designs and smooth motions. While the horror of the film is undoubtedly meant to be at a level acceptable for young audiences, even the main beast is always known to be harmless and unscary; there is clearly a love for the horror genre that feels infectious. As Minions & Monsters felt like a love letter to early monster features, The Beast of Mossy Bottom feels like a love letter to the aesthetic and unique conceptualization of Halloween from the 1950s and 1960s. This campy and wholesome look at the holiday has been seen in animation before, but few examples feel as colorful and inviting as this. The film focuses on the community that is found through the holiday, focusing largely on the connection between the sheep of the farm and the farm dog Bitzer (John Sparks). The group must work together to help The Farmer stay safe, and ultimately just want to celebrate the holiday together. The Vet has a vested interest in learning about the Beast, but never wants to bring harm to the creature and instead hopes to study him, mistaking him for Bigfoot. Her connection with The Farmer is another narrative beat that feels simplistic, but it comes off as sincere enough to feel charming.
The simplicity is not a downfall of the feature, but rather a highlight. While there is absolutely a place for films with more depth and societal reflection, like the conversation on AI and technology in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, for a holiday film like this, there is a certain timeless quality that develops from having a more straightforward identity like this. While the film is not afraid to poke fun at modern culture, like when a streamer purposefully puts themselves in the way of the monster for views, and one of their viewers is so absorbed by the stream that they don't even notice as the beast chases past him, the film never tries to force a deeper substance. Seeing this type of clean enjoyment done this well is a rare sight for modern cinema, and its inclusion in the holiday season of releases is a welcome one.
For families looking for an enjoyable way to start the spooky season, The Beast of Mossy Bottom is an easy win. Bringing the Aardman charm that so many love, the film provides simple and pure enjoyment that has enough ability to feel enjoyable for all ages.
Coming as the perfect start of the spooky season, it comes as no surprise that The Beast of Mossy Bottom is an absolute delight. Aardman continually makes wholesome films, maintaining much of the same personality and style that has made their work so iconic for decades. This is seen most strongly in the film's comedy, often relying on physical comedy and timing rather than dialogue. The studio has this down to a science, and the comedy in The Beast of Mossy Bottom is some of their most consistent work in recent memory. Taking a page out of Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, the transformation of The Farmer into an innocent yet massive creature who is constantly making a mess as he stumbles through town while everyone thinks he is a dangerous monster leads to plenty of natural comedy. While none of the writing behind this comedy feels overly complex or revolutionary compared to previous Aardman works, the execution of the ideas is strong, and the film has very few down periods where the comedy doesn't land enough to feel entertaining.
The charm of the film is extended into its fall setting, with the screen being painted with autumn colors and immaculate spooky vibes. The stop-motion animation is strong as always, with Aardman mastering the form with creative designs and smooth motions. While the horror of the film is undoubtedly meant to be at a level acceptable for young audiences, even the main beast is always known to be harmless and unscary; there is clearly a love for the horror genre that feels infectious. As Minions & Monsters felt like a love letter to early monster features, The Beast of Mossy Bottom feels like a love letter to the aesthetic and unique conceptualization of Halloween from the 1950s and 1960s. This campy and wholesome look at the holiday has been seen in animation before, but few examples feel as colorful and inviting as this. The film focuses on the community that is found through the holiday, focusing largely on the connection between the sheep of the farm and the farm dog Bitzer (John Sparks). The group must work together to help The Farmer stay safe, and ultimately just want to celebrate the holiday together. The Vet has a vested interest in learning about the Beast, but never wants to bring harm to the creature and instead hopes to study him, mistaking him for Bigfoot. Her connection with The Farmer is another narrative beat that feels simplistic, but it comes off as sincere enough to feel charming.
The simplicity is not a downfall of the feature, but rather a highlight. While there is absolutely a place for films with more depth and societal reflection, like the conversation on AI and technology in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, for a holiday film like this, there is a certain timeless quality that develops from having a more straightforward identity like this. While the film is not afraid to poke fun at modern culture, like when a streamer purposefully puts themselves in the way of the monster for views, and one of their viewers is so absorbed by the stream that they don't even notice as the beast chases past him, the film never tries to force a deeper substance. Seeing this type of clean enjoyment done this well is a rare sight for modern cinema, and its inclusion in the holiday season of releases is a welcome one.
For families looking for an enjoyable way to start the spooky season, The Beast of Mossy Bottom is an easy win. Bringing the Aardman charm that so many love, the film provides simple and pure enjoyment that has enough ability to feel enjoyable for all ages.