“John Sugar” is an American neo-noir mystery drama series that started on Apple TV+ in April 2024. Mark Protosevich created the series and Fernando Meirelles and Adam Arkin direct. Colin Farrell stars as private detective John Sugar and also executive produces.
Plot and Setting
Set in modern day Los Angeles, the series follows private detective John Sugar who is hired by legendary film producer Jonathan Siegel to find his missing granddaughter Olivia. As Sugar digs into the glamorous but dark world of Hollywood he uncovers family secrets, criminal conspiracies and personal demons. Classic noir with modern themes.
Characters
- John Sugar (Colin Farrell): A private detective with a mysterious past and unorthodox methods. He uses intuition, persistence and a deep understanding of the darker side of human nature to solve his cases.
- Ruby (Kirby Howell-Baptiste): Sugar’s trusted sidekick and tech expert. Her brain and skills are her best asset.
- Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell): A big shot Hollywood producer and Olivia’s grandfather. His charm and power in the film industry hides a complicated family history.
- Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler): The missing girl at the centre of the mystery. Her past and relationships are the key to finding her.
- Bernie Siegel (Dennis Boutsikaris): Olivia’s father who is ambivalent about her disappearance and has secrets of his own.
- David Siegel (Nate Corddry): Olivia’s stepbrother who becomes increasingly suspicious during the investigation.
Style and Atmosphere
“John Sugar” has dark, moody cinematography, classic noir style with modern techniques. Shadowy visuals, high contrast lighting and a sad musical score to pull you into the underbelly of Los Angeles. Great attention to detail and authenticity in the sets and characters.
Reviews
The first season of “John Sugar” has received positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes 82% with an average score of 7.2/10. Critics said “a modern noir deeply rooted in the classics. ‘John Sugar’ could use more plot clues to balance out the style but Colin Farrell is cool.” Metacritic 67/100.
Major Plot Turns and Controversy (SPOILER ALERT)
One of the biggest surprises of the show was the reveal in episode 6 that John Sugar is an alien. Viewers and critics were divided on this. Some loved it, some hated it. Regardless it sparked a lot of conversation and interest in the show.
Next Season
Despite the controversy over some of the plot turns “John Sugar” has been renewed for season 2. The next season will go deeper into Sugar’s past and his search for his missing sister DJen and his confrontation with her captor Henry Thorpe.
Overall
John Sugar is a modern noir with classic elements. With Colin Farrell at the helm it’s a must see for fans of the genre.
