Season 1 – Sugar

Audience Reviews

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Jeremiah J Excellent. I like very few shows now and this show has a message without trying to push “the message” that many people were getting tired of the last four years. It touches on things that made Hollywood great many years ago and also gave us something new. This is how you make shows. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/15/25 Full Review MB C Sugar is a stylish neo-noir crime drama streaming on Apple TV+, recently renewed for a second season. It follows John Sugar (Colin Farrell), a compassionate private investigator with a deep love for classic cinema, as he searches for the missing granddaughter of a Hollywood mogul. What begins as a conventional mystery gradually shifts into something far stranger — and more ambitious...... The series pays elegant homage to film noir, blending black-and-white sequences with vibrant colors to reflect Sugar’s psychological state. With its jazz-infused score, surreal editing, and sharp cinematography, Sugar creates a dreamlike world suspended between past and present....... The show’s strength lies in its bold aesthetic and Colin Farrell’s nuanced performance. However, a late narrative twist — revealing Sugar as an alien — recontextualizes everything, and while conceptually daring, it may arrive too late for full emotional impact. Some supporting characters lack development, and certain scenes feel stretched or overly cryptic....... Ultimately, Sugar is a polarizing but memorable experiment in genre storytelling. It's a visual treat for cinephiles and noir fans, though its unconventional structure may not appeal to everyone...... Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/16/25 Full Review Nicole Y A great crime drama with a twist that didn’t have to be. Just like I pretend the last episode of BSG didn’t happen, I blocked out that twist. Otherwise, great performances by Colin and the crew and he gets to drive the sweeeeetest car. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/03/25 Full Review Rob G Promising Pilot and Premise That Fail Hard from Lack of Effort I really wanted to like this show. On early episodes, Farrell’s performance really sells this version of hard boiled “cerce la femme” detective. In particular, I loved his chemistry with Amy Ryan, and the homeless man watching his car. Sure, there were some clunky transitions - two scenes with dialogue interspersed confusingly, an insistence showing dozens of clips from, fetishized Golden Age cinema. Nevertheless, I was happy to find a neo noir with a compelling performance, and was along for the ride. But then, somewhere around 3 episodes in, it felt like the entire cast and crew got together for drinks and decided, “We should all stop trying completely.” All chemistry immediately evaporates, as do the emotional stakes of the plot. See, for example, a scene of Dennis Boutsikaris and Anna Gunn speaking with a doctor, who tells them “he’s alive. Well, by alive, I mean, he’s a vegetable,” while both stare blankly. Mind you, all this is before “the twist.” Personally, I’d be so into a twist of this nature (noir and sci fi are some of my favorite genres) IF it’s told with solid performances and an emotional core. Im “Sugar,” however, I’d already stopped caring about any character in the show about two hours earlier. In fairness, this is not a full review, because I stopped watching after 5 episodes. To me, “Sugar” feels less like an homage to The Big Sleep or Chinatown, and more like another kind of throwback- mid 2000s low effort lineup filler, with one or two respected actors leading the cast just to lend some credibility. If you want to watch, I’d recommend checking out the pilot, and then just imagining the rest of the season. Chances are, the images in your mind will run laps around the actual show. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 04/27/25 Full Review Audience Member Collns needed a paycheck, poor acting, cast is horrible, story and writing are horrible and slow. They repeated story line from episodes 1-3 from4 to 8. Drama, crime, I love. Knew the outcome in 3 episodes. Don't waste your time. Collin, turn down some roles occasionally. Your to good for this crap show. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/26/25 Full Review Gareth v While this film noir/sci-fi mystery has some twists that can baffle, at the heart of it there is a decent story that keeps you hooked. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Sugar — Season 1

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