SUGAR (2024) – There is more than meets the eye in this throw back to classic film noir

Colin Farrell heads the cast of this bold new TV series from Apple+ as the title character John Sugar, a private investigator who specialises in finding missing people. The series is bold for a number of reasons. The look and feel of the series is original and artistic. The first act for example, started off in black and white in the theatrical ratio that has the black bands at the top and bottom of the screen. As this prologue sequence concludes, the image magically transforms into colour while the screen fills up the 16:9 ration screen completely. Later as the film progresses, we are told that our hero John Sugar is an avid movie fan particularly in the classic noir, and this fact is exemplified through the film’s visual styles as well as showing short clips (often black and white) from old movies with similar state of affairs with the film’s plot interspersed throughout the length of the series. It is a clever way of showing homage to the genre and a throwback to the golden era of movies. The plot has Sugar investigating the disappearance of the granddaughter of a famous and rich Hollywood producer so there are lots of opportunity for making reference to the industry.

Perhaps the boldest thing the series did was with the huge and crazy “fall off the chair” plot twist towards the end of the series that was totally unexpected and threw the entire series off balance. I suspect many viewers will be frustrated and not accept this plot twist and walk out from the series without staying for the conclusion. Other more open-minded viewers would be able to appreciate the creativity and might even accredit this move as something ingenious. When the twist was revealed, much of what felt off and irrational in the early episodes become clearer explainable with the new information revealed. The ending did not ruin the whole series for me as I am always open to new twists and enjoy the unexpected. I do admit that it did distract the flow as it felt like suddenly, I am watching another kind of show. But once the initial surprise dwindled and we stay the course of the final act, I do find the conclusion ultimately satisfying. It even ambitiously sets the scene for the series to continue with further seasons!

Whether you find the storyline and plot twists agreeable or not, there is no denying the series’ high standards across the board. Colin Farrell is excellent as Sugar and he simply commands the scenes whenever he appears. The scrip is interesting and successfully delivers the intrigue level to make you want to binge watch the whole series. The photography and editing were artistic and involving. The whole noir genre’s look and feel was lovingly recreated. The oft-used theme of good vs evil is subtly incorporated to the plot providing an underlying moral compass of doing the right thing. Lastly, I love the dog in the movie …