Sugar
starring Colin Farrell, Amy Ryan, James Cromwell, Anna Gunn
Apple TV
If you’re going to write a script for a financial thriller where greed and deceit run rampant, it’ll take place in New York City. If you’re writing a detective story about the darkest and most demented of desires being taken on by the merest scrap of human decency, it’ll be Los Angeles.
Sugar is a limited series on Apple TV, and it really starts out strong, a classic noir shot in glorious color and a mid-century modern sensibility, though it takes place in current times. It features Colin Farrell and his multidimensional eyebrows as our likable but flawed detective, and a variety of character actors including Amy Ryan, James Cromwell, and Anna Gunn in supporting roles.
It’s a very well put together production, and there’s a lot of tension between the fact that it is a solid effort and also a completely run-of-the-mill follow-all-the-tropes Los-Angeles-detective story ordered straight off the menu. Until a few episodes in, where it becomes something completely unexpected.
I’m afraid to say more and ruin an unforeseen plot twist. It’s rare that I can say “I did not see that coming,” so I’ll leave this review right here and just advise you to go in with as little information as possible and stick with it through the first few episodes.
