Colin Farrell channels Humphrey Bogart as a noir detective in ‘Sugar:’ review

Colin Farrell channels his best Humphrey Bogart impression in his new Apple drama, “Sugar.” 

Now streaming (with new episodes out weekly on Fridays), the detective drama is filled with all the staples of noir. 

It begins in black and white, before eventually switching to color. Created by Mark Protosevich (“I Am Legend,”) the story follows John Sugar (Farrell), a private detective with a checkered past who drives a swanky car, has a debonair demeanor and seems to only wear suits. A self-proclaimed movie buff, he’s right at home drinking whiskey in dive bars. 

And, although he sometimes has to use violence in his line of work, he doesn’t enjoy it. 

He’s got slightly more cheer and kindness in him than the usual cynical noir heroes — but he’s still got plenty of quick thinking and melancholic musings that place him squarely among their tradition. 

Farrell joins Matthew Rhys (“Perry Mason”) and Clive Owen (“Monsieur Spade”) in the group of heavy-hitting recent actors who have dusted off the genre.

The show constantly makes us wonder if his disposition is a front. 

Sugar is investigating the case of Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler), a beautiful young ingenue who’s missing. Her grandfather, legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell), has tapped Sugar to find her. So, the show explores the seedy underbelly of a glamorous backdrop. 

Sugar also has a girl Friday of sorts, Ruby (Kirby). 

The show is peppered with his monologues that are edged with melancholic undertones.

“Finding people that are lost, bringing them back to those that miss them – that part of the job, I like,” he says during one voiceover, while soft jazz plays in the background. 

“It makes the occasional knife fight and ruined suit worthwhile. It’s a tough business, but steady,” his voiceover continues. 

He also remarks about the “Sadness in the eyes” of some people that he comes across. 

So, it’s like a checklist of the genre, but it’s light on its feet and proceeds smoothly enough that it doesn’t feel like a mere checklist.

The story is filled with twists and turns, and isn’t told in linear order; it’s comfortable jumping around in time. 

Viewers who enjoy the genre are in good hands with “Sugar.” 

There’s a lot of family drama and secrets to dig into – Olivia’s producer dad, Bernie (Dennis Boutsikaris), isn’t too concerned about her whereabouts, and neither is her half brother, former child actor, Davy (Nate Corddry)  or her stepmom, Davy’s mother (Anna Gunn), providing a long list of suspects. 

(Sugar’s voiceover muses that the smarmy Davy seems like a, “Scared little boy,” even though he’s an adult.)

The show isn’t without flaws. It takes too long to tease out Sugar’s secrets, and it keeps viewers guessing about his past and whether he’s putting on a facade. 

And the mystery about what happened to Olivia isn’t particularly unique. 

But “Sugar” is glossy and poised, and unfolds with smooth confidence. 

It might not work without a strong actor at the center, but Farrell is usually a top-notch performer, and he delivers, here. 

His famously furrowed eyebrows are right at home on a hardboiled detective. 

“Sugar” isn’t reinventing the wheel, but it’s still a welcome addition to the genre, and “Colin Farrell as a noir detective” may be enough to get audiences tuning in.