SUNNY -- Noir Series Struggles To Find Its Tone

Review by Sean Boelman

Rashida Jones and Hidetoshi Nishijima in "Sunny," premiering July 10, 2024 on Apple TV+.

Produced by A24, the new Apple TV+ series Sunny has all the makings of prestige television: a killer premise, a strong cast, and a creator whose last work was acclaimed. However, despite having all of these pieces in place, Sunny’s success is quite mixed, with some excellent moments but others that fall entirely flat.

Based on the novel The Dark Manual by Colin O’Sullivan, Sunny follows a woman whose life is upended after her husband and young son disappear in a mysterious plane crash, leaving her a domesticated robot. As she unravels the truth behind her family’s disappearance, she uncovers some unexpected dark secrets.

Perhaps the biggest issue with Sunny is that it isn’t able to strike an effective balance between its dramatic and comedic elements. On the one hand, it’s a serious noir about a grieving widow, but on the other, it’s an odd-couple comedy following a human and her new robot sidekick. The result of these clashing tones is a wandering, aimless feel that is difficult to get invested in.

The biggest strength of the series is its cast, particularly Rashida Jones in the lead. We know Jones has the comedic chops to pull off the humor in a way that doesn’t feel forced, but what was more surprising was how well she navigated the emotional beats. However, the real emotional core of the show is Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car), whose supporting turn steals the scene every time he shows up.

Rashida Jones in "Sunny," premiering July 10, 2024 on Apple TV+.

Sunny is at its best when it takes ambitious stylistic swings, as these sequences allow the series to go in unique, genuinely interesting directions. For example, the show’s ninth episode is structured like a Japanese game show. This is not only the most narratively and aesthetically appealing half-hour of the series but also where it gets the opportunity to present the audience with some of its most intriguing questions. If the rest of the show had been able to match this bizarre energy, it would have been great.

Unfortunately, the rest of what we see is a rather bland neo-noir exploring the same themes we’ve seen in the genre dozens of times before. Sunny follows the grief storyline formula very closely, and while the characters are sympathetic, it very seldom actually moves the audience. The show also attempts to spice things up with commentary on AI, but as is the case with much of the media on this topic, the satire feels frustratingly timid and inert.

Visually, Sunny is disappointing, considering the potential of its premise and setting. Apart from strong design for the eponymous robot and a sleekly stylized title sequence that kicks each episode off with a kinetic bang, the series doesn’t feel very distinctive. This only reaffirms the fact that the show’s lack of identity is its greatest flaw.

It’s easy to see the potential that Sunny had, but this darkly comedic neo-noir doesn’t have enough laughs or tension to work in either genre. Although strong performances and a few ambitious swings are enough to keep viewers from losing interest entirely, there are much better entries into this genre to spend your time on. 

Sunny streams on Apple TV+ beginning July 10 with two episodes, with new episodes streaming subsequent Wednesdays. All ten episodes reviewed.

​Rating: 3/5