Sugar
Sugar stars Colin Farrell as the titular John Sugar, an American private eye hired by legendary film director Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell) to investigate the disappearance of his granddaughter Olivia (Sydney Chandler). Sugar takes to the streets of Los Angeles to try and crack the case, but the more he investigates, the deeper the mystery seems to go, unearthing secrets from both the Siegel family’s past and his own.
It’s a straightforward premise but largely executed well, using that simplicity to facilitate the show’s strong noir styling while keeping proceedings coherent, even as the web of intrigue deepens. The series is a love letter to noir as a genre and cinema as a whole, and Sugar’s camera work blends many different cinematographic conventions with plenty of snappy and cool tricks to keep the action engaging.
This passion for film is even worked into the narrative, as Sugar is a self-described film addict – noir films play a heavy part in Sugar’s internal monologue, and clips from some of his favourite movies are used to reflect his character journey.
As the title suggests, Sugar is largely a character study of John Sugar, and he’s a solid leading man, with Farrell bringing plenty of charisma and charm to the role. Appropriately enough, Sugar is a sweet man, generous and considerate to a fault, but the cinematic motif and Farrell’s strong performance help prevent him from coming off as bland. There’s a complexity and depth to his friendliness, all of which – at least for the first five episodes – make him a compelling character to follow.
However, there’s a big elephant in the room when it comes to Sugar in the form of a sudden, drastic plot twist in the sixth episode. It’s something that is telegraphed somewhat, but that won’t stop it from being any less wild, and it completely changes the tone of the piece and undercuts much of its previously established atmosphere. It also radically changes how Sugar works as a character in a way that unfortunately makes him less interesting.
Overall, Sugar is a fascinating beast. For the most part, it’s a competent, stylish tribute to noir film and cinema as a whole, with strong acting and adept writing, but its decision to swerve into a bonkers 11th-hour reveal colours the episodes that precede it in a way that will either make or break it for viewers.
Umar Ali
Sugar is released on Apple TV+ on 5th April 2024.
Watch the trailer for Sugar here:
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