The neon lights of Los Angeles cast a gaudy glow over the city's crumbling underbelly in 'Sugar', the Apple TV+ series that refuses to be bound by conventional storytelling. Colin Farrell's star-studded show has been given the green light for a sophomore season, and it's clear the producers are doubling down on their risk-taking approach.
Apple TV+'s willingness to take a punt on offbeat productions has paid dividends with hits like 'Severance' and 'Ted Lasso', but 'Sugar' is the show that truly wears its art house credentials on its sleeve. With each episode offering up a half-hour dose of melancholy and urban decay, it's a cinematic cocktail that's as potent as it is polarising.
Last season, Farrell's John Sugar delved into the dark heart of LA, a world where everyone is disconnected from one another – like individuals trapped in black-and-white films. We were treated to cameos by classic Hollywood icons on his telly and even within the action itself. It was a love letter to the genre that set 'Sugar' apart from the rest.
But just as we thought we knew what we had on our hands, the rug got pulled – literally. Sugar's past was turned upside down with an otherworldly twist: he's not human. This seismic shift didn't necessarily make him a more central character in season two; instead, it further solidified his role as an observer of this decaying city.
The show's aesthetic remains unapologetically retro-futuristic, with every frame oozing a fetish for distressed urban beauty. You can almost smell the peeling paint on the shopfronts and feel the atmospheric roads at dusk – it's like taking a step into a time capsule. And then there are those car rides in his pristine 'Vette, which serve as a poignant counterpoint to the grimy streets below.
With each new case he takes on, Sugar retreats into the comforting world of classic Hollywood – clip after clip of Paul Newman and Humphrey Bogart adds to its nostalgic charm. It's a visual feast that's both beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. And amidst it all, the extraterrestrial presence lingers in the background, like a cosmic reminder that we're all just temporary visitors on this terrestrial plane.