Every Classic Movie Reference in Apple TV’s Sugar
In the Apple TV+ series Sugar, Colin Farrell stars as a Los Angeles detective named John Sugar. Sugar is a big fan of classic movies and is working on a case about the missing granddaughter of a legendary movie producer, played by James Cromwell.
The character often references movies he loves, like “The Big Heat.” His handler, Ruby (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), even gets him the gun Glenn Ford used in the 1950 noir film. Sugar also mentions several Humphrey Bogart movies.
Sugar — Official Trailer | Apple TV+
All the movies are referenced in the order they appear in each episode.
Episode 1: “Olivia”
“Kiss Me Deadly” (1955) is a film noir directed by Robert Aldrich. It stars Ralph Meeker as Detective Mike Hammer.
“The Big Heat” (1953) is a film noir directed by Fritz Lang, starring Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame.
“Johnny Guitar” (1954) is a western film directed by Nicholas Ray starring Joan Crawford and Sterling Hayden.
“The Strange Love of Martha Ivers” (1946) is a film noir directed by Lewis Milestone starring Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas.
Episode 2: “These People, These Places”
“Dead Reckoning” (1947) is a noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Lizabeth Scott, directed by John Cromwell.
“Knock on Any Door” (1949) is a film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and John Derek, and Nicholas Ray directs it.
“Sunset Blvd.” (1950) is a film noir starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden, directed by Billy Wilder.
“In a Lonely Place” (1950) is a film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, directed by Nicholas Ray.
“Minnie and Moskowitz” (1971) is a comedy/drama starring Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel, directed by John Cassavetes.
About Sugar
Sugar is an 8-part American drama television series created by Mark Protosevich, directed by Fernando Meirelles, and starring Colin Farrell who also serves as executive producer. It premiered on Apple TV+ on April 5, 2024.
It is described as “a genre-bending contemporary take on the private detective story set in Los Angeles”.
Ok