Sugar Season One Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of the first season of Sugar. The first two episodes premiere next Friday on Apple TV+

Sugar is the newest Apple TV+ original series that sees star Colin Farrell in his first onscreen appearance since 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin. Sugar is a genre bending take on a private detective story set in contemporary Los Angeles and follows enigmatic private detective John Sugar (Farrell) as he investigates the disappearance of a Hollywood producer’s beloved granddaughter while struggling with his own personal demons. This series is a very difficult one to discuss for its fair share of twists and turns, therefore, it is best going into as blind as possible in order to get the most out of its surprises as the story leads viewers on a ride. Either way, it’s safe to say that is already shaping up to be a strong contender for one of the best series of the year so far.

Featuring one of Farrell’s best performances to date, his character, John Sugar, is one of the most fascinating, layered, and likeable characters he’s ever played and an endearing one to watch. That strong connection could be felt right away as the first episode does a great job at setting up the many facets of Sugar while still leaving an aura of mystery about him. If the series were to end up being a big hit for Apple, Farrell may have cemented his next big role, and arguably one of his best. Meanwhile, none of the supporting cast can truly measure up to him but that being said, there were some definite standouts to be had, including the likes of Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Ruby), Amy Ryan (Melanie), Anna Gunn (Margit), and James Cromwell (Jonathan Siegel).

Ultimately, one of the biggest reasons Sugar stands out from other noires and crime series is its throwback storyline that feels very modern, and its own thing. The season’s central mystery is not only highly engaging but one that will have viewers finding themselves more and more invested in as it went on. Offering viewers more than Sugar’s investigation, the season strikes just the right balance between its multiple threads without it ever becoming convoluted or overstuffed. Every successive episode effectively moves the plot forward in a satisfying way, each running at around the 30+ minute mark, they are a perfect length, leaving very little room for filler or unnecessary fat unlike what so many series tend to do nowadays.

While the season has a lot of great things going for it, it was not without its issues. The supporting cast does a decent job with what they’re given, particularly the aforementioned names, however, whenever the focus of the story shifted away from Farrell’s John Sugar for too long, it did suffer as the pacing began to stall. None of the other characters were simply nowhere near as interesting or compelling to watch, especially its fairly weak and forgettable villains. Also, some storylines and reveals are on the predictable side, and while this isn’t necessarily a full on negative, its digital look does take some time to get used to, more so when juxtaposed with so much footage of classic noires inserted throughout, if only to remind viewers of how much better things used to look. Any other complaint would delve too much into spoilery territory, but without giving anything away, not every direction it takes works as it will leave viewers with quite a few questions by the end, though not to the point of frustration or annoyance.

At the end of the day, Sugar is a series that will likely become viewers’ newest obsession and is something definitely worth checking out when it drops on Apple TV+ soon if they are fans of noires or crime thrillers with a few tricks up their sleeves. It gives Colin Farrell one of the best roles of his career, has an engaging mystery to back it up, and has an impressive style to it that emulates classic noires but is still very much its own thing. Though it may not be perfect, it is a rock solid new series that benefits from going into knowing as little as possible.

still courtesy of Apple TV+

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/