User reviews

I wasn't really sure what to expect going into Sugar, I wasn't familiar with the story at all but Colin Farrell was starring in it so I was definitely going to at least give it a chance. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed it. Anytime a A-list actor like Farrell does a tv show I'm usually going to give it a chance because if it's good enough to get a big name like that it must be worth watching. There are a ton of detective shows to choose from out there, it seems like even more so this year, so a show must be good enough to stick out from the bunch to get people to watch and Sugar is. The acting & writing aren't the only good things going for this show, it's also beautifully shot. It has a real stylish throwback to classic noir films to it. Bottom line, Sugar is worth your time.

It seems like some people here should expose themselves to classic noir films and books this series finds its inspiration in. Folks criticizing the internal dialogue, that's a time-honored device of the genre as is, a slow burn pace and flashbacks. Maybe people these days are too accustomed to explosions and car chases to appreciate a little mystery. Read some Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett or watch a Robert Mitchum or Humphrey Bogart movie in the genre. Farrell is definitely well cast and the cinematography is sumptuous. I'm excited to see where this series takes us. We were glued to the screen and can't wait for me.

Apple TV keeps putting out great television shows and Sugar is no different. It kept me entertained the entire way through and Colin Farrell is as terrific as always as the lead. He plays John Sugar, a kind of loner who gets hired by rich people to find missing people. He's hired to find the missing granddaughter of a big time movie producer (James Cromwell) which leads him into a lot of danger and mysteries. There are plenty of good twists and mysteries to see if you can solve along the way. I'll be shocked if Farrell isn't nominated for a bunch of awards for his role in this. I don't think this is a limited series so I hope they plan on doing several seasons of this because I'm in.

Since episode 1 I've been intrigued by the mix of different styles and the wonky tone sitting within what on the surface appears to be a modern noir. What's with the mysterious bag of drugs Sugar carries around, why the utter lack of fear and the calmness throughout, the anti-violence and difficulty sleeping, there just seemed to be something else going on. What about the clandestine gathering of 'spies' and the feeling that there was something either supernatural or psychological at play. To think that it is a simple detective show would be to underestimate Colin Farrell and his willingness to take chances. I'm sure it's going to divide people, good. I for one am loving the combination of old school story with a plot twist unlike anything you may have seen before. It's great, it could go in so many directions from here, I'm hooked!

Colin Farrell is simply perfect in this role. Vulnerable yet strong, serious yet fun, and mysterious yet open. Really stellar supporting cast with beautiful scenery of LA. A real trip back in time to the old style self-narrated private directive genre. Apple hasn't disappointed and continues its excellent record of releasing excellent limited series like this one. The only negative is in a world of instant gratification, waiting for a whole week for a new episode is torturous! But this is most certainly work the wait. Finally, I also love the embedded black and white clips from old detective movies throughout. It adds to the intrigue for me.

It was a great story, and while not a deal breaker, it seemed to have taken an unexpected and unnecessary turn. Like the story would be the same without the twist that seemed completely unneeded and just a distraction mostly. I just dont understand why at that point you'd make that kind of major change to the story. Like I said, even if it were true it's totally tertiary to the story, if it were never revealed the story doesn't change at all. I almost just stopped watching at that point just because it was such an unnecessary distraction. I'm still scratching my head over the point of it. No spoilers, just watch it and you'll see.

This show caught me totally by surprise. I am not typically overly impressed by pseudo-noir style shows, but I'm hooked. Only reason it's not a 9 or 10 is due to the cliffhanger-esque ending of episode 6 without 7 being immediately available. :p

The acting is superb, casting is perfect, and I'm eager to see exactly wth is going on. I'm usually very good at seeing things coming in shows/movies (to the point where during certain films *coughNun2cough* I am legit saying what's going to happen before it does), and several times already I've had to "wait, what?" and back up a few scenes.

Really interested to see where this show goes. Don't eff it up, Apple.

Interesting to see Colin Farrell so slimmed down. He looks and acts like a 1940s private eye. He really portrays the character like he was born for this role. His accent is perfect, even when speaking Arabic, French Spanish, Japanese or Swahili.

The story is good right from the start and never gets predictable. I like the black and white scenes, the spliced in scenes from old movies, the realistic characters, the quirky story line that keeps you on your toes. The photography is interesting for a TV show. Adam Arkin does a great job directing. Only three episodes in and I'm hooked. One of the best shows on TV today.

Slow pace, troubled private detective, references to old movies... I thought that I was watching a cliched yet stylish noir detective. I stayed for Farrell's acting because the first episode was not particularly appealing. However, later, when the show developed a more intriguing narrative, I decided to continue watching until episode 6. The plot twist was a massive disappointment. Not that it was not original, but rather that it does not comply with the overall vibe of the show whatsoever. As if you are making traditional pasta with tomato sauce and basilic and suddenly decide to add chocolate syrup on top. These genres are great apart but never together. Won't be watching the next season if Sugar has one. In this case, Farrell's acting won't be enough for me.

"Sugar" is a commendable series that skillfully incorporates elements of classic hardboiled detective stories into a contemporary setting. The show strikes a balance between paying homage to the genre's traditions and adapting them for today's audience.

The lead character, reminiscent of the archetypal private eye, brings a certain charm and authenticity to the role, making the series engaging for both aficionados of the genre and new viewers. The dialogue is sharp, and the plot is well-crafted, with enough twists to maintain interest without being overly complex.

The modern take on the genre is evident in the show's approach to character diversity and social issues, which adds depth and relevance to the narrative. The visual style nods to the noir roots while maintaining a current aesthetic that suits the show's tone.

Overall, "Sugar" is a solid series that offers a fresh take on the detective genre, and it's worth watching for its clever writing, strong performances, and thoughtful update of classic tropes.

I didn't plan to check out "Sugar," a neo-noir TV series about a private detective, which didn't sound interesting at all.

There were many red flags suggesting it would be subpar, including the name "Sugar," which follows the cliché of having a name that also has another meaning, like "Monk," "Magnum," or "Castle," among others.

It started in black and white, which, in my opinion, should only be used for flashbacks and is narrated in the first person.

Nonetheless, I gave it a chance, and it somehow started growing on me.

This production definitely tries to incorporate every trick and cliché in the book. The private eye is sick, dislikes guns, drives a vintage car, dresses the same every day, and only searches for missing persons. There are even meta jokes, including the hero entering a bar named 007.

At the same time, it tries to be different with some unusual cinematography angles, like those from a TikTok video shot with Insta360 cameras. Despite the scant information provided about his background, past, and personality, the main character is almost paper-thin, yet you find yourself starting to like him and wanting to follow his story.

This is an advantageous role for Colin Farrell, but he owns it well. Amy Ryan also delivers a strong performance as a lonely alcoholic.

Overall, I will keep watching, even though I hadn't planned to. It's a 'construct,' not a solid series-too many clichés thrown together, but somehow, I didn't change the channel.

I admit I have a soft spot for private detective drama's whatever the time frame and this looks to be a good one. The genre relies on a strong male lead with some kind of vulnerability and Colin Farrell as Sugar completely embodies the requirement. All the cool you expect from the genre is on display, the car, the suits, the neon, every box ticked. The plot conforms to all the requirements, wealthy man hires private eye to find granddaughter, money is no object, all is not as it seems, dark secrets, etc. The directorial style and cinematography really lift this piece and the referencing to classic noir enhances the look. We're only two episodes in so it could go badly off the rails but as I say, if the reviewer at The Guardian hates it then it is going to be good.

After the first five episodes I was giving this show a solid 9. Good acting. Great NOIR ambiance and identifiable characters. But the last two episodes - WTF? I feel lost and even hoodwinked. It's like they took the show I was so invested in and just changed it mid stream. I am tempted to abandon it but I have decided to watch it to the end - I have to see how it ends and I hope I was wrong about the last two episodes. I think they would have been better served to do the "big reveal" much earlier. It being so late it has really thrown me off. I don't remember feeling this way about a show or movie before. Wow.

My Review -

Sugar - Streaming on Apple TV plus My rating 10/10

Sugar is a great title as Detective John Sugar played to perfection by the incredibly talented Irish actor is a sweetie .

He loves dogs has a sentimental nature befriending the disadvantaged and homeless and is not afraid to show his emotions, although strangely or is it he has no romantic entanglements?

Don't be mistaken though there is much more to John Sugar than meets the eye as the series progresses , especially in the final episodes which I won't reveal except to say it was very an unexpected revelation.

John Sugar's character immediately won me over when the first revelation is that he is a dedicated cinephile especially of the era known as The Golden Hollywood years.

As the plot of this 8 part series develops Sugar is hired by a prominent movie producer Jonathan Siegel played by James Cromwell to find his missing Grandaughter Olivia . John Sugar is immediately struck by the similarities of Olivia to his sister who also disappeared years ago .

Sugar despite his health issues takes on the case despite the advice of his friend and agent Ruby played by an actress just called Kirby .

His decision leads to us being introduced to some very seedy and dysfunctional characters.

They include The Siegel family including Olivia's parents and half brother Davy or as he insists on being called David Siegel .

This is probably as a consequence of being a successful child actor who didn't transfer well to adult roles .

Margit his neurotic mother is trying to orchestrate an Oscar winning comeback for her B Grade movie son telling him how wonderful he is .

Margot is well cast with Anna Gunn and Nate Corddry is very convincing as David.

Amy Ryan gives a wonderful performance as Melanie a bit of a mystery woman who's relationship to the the missing Olivia introduces us to the seedy perpetrators of the human trafficking of young vulnerable women.

Colin Farrell I think gives one of the finest performances of this season's television although I still think Ben Mendelson should win an Emmy this year for his portrayal of Christian Dior in The New Look .

He will have stiff competition alongside Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor for A Gentleman in Moscow.

All through this original and for me captivating series we see snippets of great film noir movie clips which added to the total enjoyment for me of Sugar

The night before Sugar I gave up in despair on series 3 of The Bear which I had enjoyed previously because unlike this series it has become emotionally pretentious and unfathomable missing out on the most important ingredient for me to expand on a story and keep it entertaining.

Sugar beautifully directed by Fernando Meirelles and Adam Arkin and its star Colin Farrell as one of the executive producers is a labour of love and it's obvious in every frame.

Please don't do what I did by looking up details of series 2 before you finish because it reveals the originality of the plot and is a total surprise and I can't wait for more Sugar.

I likee the show well enough at first but noticed there was something a little off with the whole thing. It wasn't glaring and didn't give anything away or anything but it left me curious. When the twist revealed itself I thought it was maybe kind of dumb. As the show went on and I thought more about the past episodes I began to see how delicately and intricately the early episodes had been and how the things I felt now made sense. The whole thing is very impressive and emotional on many levels and it's absolutely brilliant how it made me go back and revisit the earlier episodes inside my head. It does all of these things without force feeding it to us or having a character break down the plot. It respects the viewer and allows us to take in the small details and nuances of it all. I got so much more from the first few episodes just by recalling them, it's amazing that so much of them stuck with me that it didn't require a rewatch.

FIRST SEASON

During the first 6 episodes, i liked it a lot at first but then, something started to feel off. All those film noir references, Farrell's strange acting and behavior, were interesting at first but gradually, i was confused and i was feeling a bit detached. Farrell is charismatic and a great actor, he wouldn't let this show go off the rails, so i decided to keep on watching it, even though i didn't love it anymore.

And then, a major twist happened. A twist that explained it all. Unfortunately, i can't say anything about it because even a small detail could be a spoiler. Overall, the less you learn about this tv show, the better.

I will say only this : I love spaghetti. I also love honey. There are many tasty (or tasteful, if we're talking about other things than food) things that cannot be combined. I mean, you cannot put honey in your spaghetti, it would be stupid.

SUGAR combines two ENTIRELY different things. It's like putting honey in a plate of spaghetti. At first, i was a bit shocked. Are we serious? But, eventually, i can say that i liked it even more than the first 6 episodes. Because, at least, everything is being explained in a satisfying way. I don't claim that it works, there will be many people who won't like it, maybe they will find it ridiculous.

But it worked for me. And i applaud every daring creative choice, i mean, we can't complain that everything has already been told in movies/shows and then get upset when a film maker tries something different.

I hope there is gonna be a second season. There is a lot of creativity and originality here. Characters are likeable, the bad guys are really bad, the story is interesting, not for a second i felt bored. Well directed and well acted. In any case, i don't expect much from 20's tv shows and movies. If i am being entertained, it's enough.

Sugar is a new LA noir private detective show that works both as a hommage to the genre and a self serious meta parody with all the cliches imaginable. After 2 episodes it's difficult to tell where it will go but I like it for the moment.

Colin Farrell is great as usual and succeeds in giving gravitas to a character that for the moment is paper thin. We feel he has a past and relationships and traumas and an inner life.

I reserve the right to revise my note according to the evolution of the next episodes. Many shows started great and collapsed very fast (the Apple TV+ Godzilla show for example). Let's wait and see.

I have to be honest, I wasn't inspecting much however everything about this series is perfect. It's a masterclass in ad-lib, photography, direction and plot. The chemistry on screen between the characters is palpable. And there are quite a few cinematic surprises hidden in there too! I had gotten to the point where I thought that Apple TV was doing too much middle of the road content to please the Netflix masses however it comes back with something like this to prove it is a class above.

It's a really easy lovely binge watch so what are you waiting for? Snuggle up on the sofa, grab a beer and enjoy the storytelling.

Revelation and a lot better than I'd thought it would be; especially after trying to watch the absolutely awful Ripley. Somewhat reminiscent to the show Dream On where they instill footage from old movies. Except that was a comedy. The show is set like a fast paced film noir; not boring us with endless scenes of people aimlessly puttering about. Each scene has purpose and meaning. Farrell as always is superb as is most of the supporting cast. And while Sugar seems a bit too extraordinary, excelling at many things his illness brings him down a notch. With the mystery of the supposed disappearance, murders and plenty of nefarious characters about, there's plenty of plot to last a season. And finally just before they revealed the car I was hoping it would be a Corvette Stingray and lo and behold.........this show is a complete winner.

Well, it was going so well. Colin Farrell was in fine form. The noir detective genre and writing were both great. Directors Fernando Meirelles and Adam Arkin were excellent. The supporting cast: Amy Ryan, Dennis Boutsikaris, James Cromwell, Anna Gunn, Eric Lange were all top notch. Then, Episode 6: Go Home happened and everything went fatally wrong for me. Now, clearly, we knew they were holding back a major plot point. We knew there was another big shoe yet to fall. But when it was revealed, it turned me right off this series. I audibly said: Oh no!

So, I'm done with this series 6 episodes in!

First half of the series is absolutely fine if unoriginal, Colin Farrell is holding the show nicely, sharp suits in every frame, rock chic love interest, and he gets to pick up a great dog, drive round in a very nice 1960s corvette stingray. The locations are also very cool and we get a great line in voice over action. Let me be clear this show is a million miles away from the quality of the recent Perry Mason series and I could go on but then boom!! A plot twist so risible we fell about laughing. I can't believe the writers actually think they are adding anything to the genre, sort of feels like a high school prank which they thought Apple would never go for, but the jokes on us, they did.