Sheep in the Box

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1:47

Sheep in the Box

PG

Jul 2026

2h 6m

Drama

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

90 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

In the near future, Otone and Kensuke, a grieving couple who have lost their son, take into their lives a humanoid identical to their late child.

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Critics Consensus

A rare disappointment from director Hirokazu Koreeda, Sheep in the Box is a muted domestic drama whose rumination on artificial intelligence could have used more of the filmmaker's characteristic humanity.

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Moira MacDonald

Seattle Times

Jul 31, 2026

3/4

It’s rich emotional territory for Kore-eda, who makes the film less a parable about technology but a meditation on grief and loss and parental love, on how the heart can will itself to see something that isn’t there.

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Richard Whittaker

Austin Chronicle

Jul 31, 2026

2.5/5

Maybe if he’d grappled with any of those elements more fully, or trimmed them away, Sheep in the Box would feel less like an imitation of life.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

Jul 30, 2026

3.5/4

While some might balk at its final act and think it’s too sentimental, I felt the opposite and thought it was lovely and both sweet and bittersweet, and above all else, comforting.

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Dionar Hidalgo

Algo Más Que Cine

14 hrs ago

4/10

Hirokazu Koreeda tackles grief and AI with a compelling premise, but heavy-handed symbolism, sluggish pacing, and underdeveloped characters leave this sci-fi drama feeling emotionally distant and frustratingly shallow.

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Pieter-Jan Van Haecke

Psychocinematography

Sep 23, 2026

The cerebral stillness of the film and the thematical fragmentation nevertheless constitutes an inviting call for audiences to ponder over its obliquely-raised questions.

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Guilherme Quireza

PopMatters

Sep 18, 2026

5/10

Sheep in the Box seemed like a film about accepting and overcoming trauma and grief, but by the end, it comes to signify a failed attempt to humanize the artificialization of parental relationships and to transform our desire to escape pain...

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Sergey

Aug 24, 2026

an amazing deep dive into a topic of life and death and how it all connected.. very touching and a beautiful view on humans from the "outside". I'd recommend to watch it at least twice, since the second time you get to notice all the phrases and script connections much better

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jesse v

Aug 6, 2026

the movie starts out like black mirror and the movie Companion but quickly moves on from that. i appreciate the emotional sentiment but it's just too mellow of a drama. Could the editors have at least put more effort with the English subtitles? They are too basic with what the characters were saying. Odd how the father quickly changed his mind in believing the kid. There are a couple of side characters storylines that really don't go anywhere. The ending becomes a bizarre Kids Next Door origins plot.

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Barnabs V

@RT82399350 Sep 26, 2026

The difficulty of letting go wrapped in a unique package. Deeply touching and it also shows how people put their trust in AI without thinking, hoping it will solve all their problems.

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B P

@Bradster69 Aug 30, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Evan C

@RT74783562 Aug 4, 2026

Conceptually Sheep In The Box treads on interesting & familiar themes from director Kore-eda. The film is best when it focuses on the main family, & intentionally shies away from any ethical conversation. That said, there's not much of an emotional journey to really latch on to.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 31, 2026

The worldwide gross is $4,462,758.00. All ages admitted worldwide.

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Hirokazu Koreeda

Director

Haruka Ayase

Actor

Daigo

Actor

Rimu Kuwaki

Actor

Nana Seino

Actor

Kanichiro

Actor

Sheep in the Box: Trailer 1

1:47

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Synopsis

In the near future, Otone and Kensuke, a grieving couple who have lost their son, take into their lives a humanoid identical to their late child.

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Producer: Kaoru Matsuzaki, Megumi Banse
Screenwriter: Hirokazu Koreeda
Distributor: NEON
Production Co: AOI Pro
Rating: PG (Thematic Material|A Brief Bloody Image|Some Language|Smoking)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 24, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 8, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $191.8K
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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