Sugar – Apple TV+ Series Review

SUGAR is a new Apple TV+ noir detective series starring Colin Farrell in the title role. We’re in the crime, mystery, and thriller genres. Eight episodes to the series which has a great cast. Read our full Sugar series review here!

SUGAR on Apple TV+ is a new noir detective series with eight episodes. Two are being released on the premiere day and then you’ll have to wait for a new weekly episode to drop. As is the nature of detective series, this has crime, drama, thriller, some action, and a lot of mystery.

Our title character, who is played wonderfully by Colin Farrell, has been given the task of finding a young woman. He really should be resting, but the grandfather of the missing girl is a film producer. Not just any film producer, mind you. He is the very favorite producer of our main character. Of course, he can’t say no.

Continue reading our Sugar series review below. Find the first episodes on Apple TV+ on April 5, 2024.

Colin Farrell is Private Investigator John Sugar

When Sugar opens, it’s with Colin Farrell‘s title character closing a case. A rather nasty case that I won’t get into here, but it does show us what kind of person the private investigator is. He does not like hurting people, but he also doesn’t like it when anyone else hurts people.

Sometimes those two things get in the way of one another, which means John Sugar must choose violence to help someone. The private investigator clearly has some health issues, and his handler (Kirby) tries to get him to take a break.

Unfortunately, he isn’t ready to slow down. Not when Olivia Siegel, beloved granddaughter of a legendary Hollywood producer, is missing. The man also happens to have made most of John’s favorite movies, and movies do play a very big role in John’s life.

Particularly in his style. Both his approach to life, other people, and the cases he works.

A lot of cuts and wild camera work

While the plot and story of Sugar had me hooked immediately, there were elements to the production, I was not a fan of. There are many cuts in every episode. As in we cut between several points in time and chronology is thrown out the window, so do pay attention if you want to know when and where we are.

Also, the camera work is both very still and focused as well as handheld craziness. I am not a fan of the “in-your-face shaky camera” that seems to be popular these days. It’s borderline motion sickness-inducing.

On top of that, there are many cuts to classic detective movies, so get ready for Humphrey Bogart and lots of other familiar iconic actors. Both black and white colors, and tiny clips as well as short scenes. When scenes are laced with these clips, the screen also changes to better fit this.

That means we’re getting both letterbox, widescreen, and black bars on the left and right. It changes a lot, but very seamlessly, so this part is elegant and helps us understand the character of John Sugar.

Alongside a perfectly cast Colin Farrell and Kirby (The Sandman), we also get Amy Ryan (Only Murders in the Building), James Cromwell (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), Anna Gunn (The Apology), Dennis Boutsikaris, Nate Corddry (Mindhunter), Sydney Chandler (Don’t Worry Darling), and Alex Hernandez (The Peripheral).

Watch the Sugar series on Apple TV+

Sugar is an eight-episode series created by Mark Protosevich, who wrote the screenplay for the 2013 Oldboy remake and the 2007 I Am Legend zombie movie. His first screenplay was the horror sci-fi movie The Cell (2000) starring Jennifer Lopez and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Also, behind the new Apple TV+ series are Academy and Emmy Award-nominated producer Simon Kinberg and Academy Award-nominated director Fernando Meirelles (Blindness).

Creator Mark Protosevich also executive produces with Audrey Chon and Simon Kinberg for Genre Films. This is their second series with Apple TV+ after Invasion, both as part of Kinberg’s overall deal with Apple TV+. The episodes are directed by Fernando Meirelles and Adam Arkin (The Night Agent, Santa Clarita Diet).

Sugar premieres its first two episodes on Apple TV+ on April 5, 2024. This is followed by one weekly episode every Friday. The final episode will be coming out on May 17, 2024.

Details

Creator: Mark Protosevich
Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Adam Arkin
Cast: Colin Farrell, Kirby, Amy Ryan, James Cromwell, Anna Gunn, Dennis Boutsikaris, Nate Corddry, Sydney Chandler, Alex Hernandez