Unlikely Twist Ruins Colin Farrell’s Noir Crime Drama Sugar
American private investigator John Sugar (Colin Farrell) resides in the wealthy streets of Los Angeles. The successful PI is tasked with finding Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler), the daughter of a legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell). Searching for the mysteriously disappeared woman, Sugar discovers various Siegel family secrets both new and old, threatening his ability to find Olivia.
The crime drama genre has been overpopulated for a long time due to high interest from viewers, which can lead to many feeling stale and over the top. Instead, Sugar leans into the old Hollywood noir tone making it feel equally fresh and nostalgic. The inclusion of clips from old black and white movies and a compelling score makes this series visually and audibly unique.
The first six episodes will hook you in, waiting for the big reveal of solving the disappearance. The pacing was perfect by getting bits and pieces of information sparingly, but in interesting and shocking ways. New characters pop up each episode, adding drama and intrigue. But it seems as things progress, there is very little hope of finding Olivia. As we get to the halfway point to the season, the details begin to be convoluted.
John Sugar’s secret reveal in episode seven absolutely lost me. The entire tone of the limited series shifts from noir crime drama to sci-fi alien invasion. Colin Farrell is fantastic in serious and somber roles, but the reveal of his alien heritage was not only ridiculous but poorly executed. The CGI eyes and connection with Melanie Mackintosh (Amy Ryan) was cheesy to the point that it was almost laughable.
I’m all for an unexpected shock or twist, but this reveal was just so outlandish that it ruined the show for me. To make an entire genre switch in the second to last episode was a poor choice. For a series solely marketed as a crime drama, the use of aliens comes off more as an afterthought than a fully fleshed plot point.
Sugar is streaming on Apple TV+.
