{"id":48581,"date":"2024-03-27T15:00:16","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T14:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2015208"},"modified":"2024-03-27T16:46:22","modified_gmt":"2024-03-27T15:46:22","slug":"sugar-review-colin-farrells-noir-mystery-loses-itself-along-the-way","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/sugar-review-colin-farrells-noir-mystery-loses-itself-along-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Sugar review: Colin Farrell\u2019s noir mystery loses itself along the way"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sugar misses the mark. <\/p>

By Louise Griffin\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 27 March 2024 at 14:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n
<\/div> 2.0 out of 5 star rating<\/span> <\/span> <\/div> <\/div>

Apple TV+\u2019s new offering, Sugar, starring Colin Farrell<\/a> as slick detective John Sugar, has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, it has a lot going wrong too.<\/p>\n

The noir detective thriller stars the Irishman as an enigmatic private detective solving the mystery of a Hollywood producer\u2019s missing granddaughter. Although he has his own personal demons to fight, he\u2019s determined to do some right in the world.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no faulting Farrell\u2019s performance as Sugar. As usual, he\u2019s mesmerising to watch, as he suits up as the private detective. His performance leaves breadcrumbs hinting at future reveals (although nothing can prepare viewers for one of those reveals) and elevates what could have been a slightly dull character.<\/p>\n

The rest of the cast hold their own, too, especially Kirby (formally Kirby Howell-Baptiste) as Ruby, Sugar\u2019s colleague who takes none of his nonsense. Amy Ryan is also a standout as Melanie, and successfully goes toe-to-toe with Farrell in playful back-and-forths and emotional scenes alike, with viewers never really knowing how much we can trust her.<\/p>\n

\"Kirby\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Kirby as Ruby in Sugar.<\/span><\/figcaption> Apple TV+<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

There\u2019s no doubting how visually beautiful and creative the series is, as well, paying homage to the history of noir by peppering in iconic scenes from the movies themselves. It\u2019s unlike any other series in its aesthetic, and is also something of a love story to Los Angeles, with the city becoming another character in the story.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s where the good parts end.<\/p>\n

The story itself? It misses the mark. A slow first half contrasts an over-stacked and rushed ending, with the series ultimately trying to do too much. Sugar loses its identity along the way, a surprising result considering how strong that identity was at the outset.<\/p>\n

Of course, some of that is intentional \u2013 but rather than a gripping switch-up, it feels more like having the rug pulled from under us.<\/p>\n