Apple TV+’s latest sci-fi series, Sunny, is a bit messy and loses sight of itself, but ultimately has heart.
The show follows Suzie (Rashida Jones), whose husband Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima), and son Zen (Fares Belkheir) go missing after boarding a flight. Suzie is then presented with a robot, Sunny (Joanna Sotomura), as consolation and soon she uncovers a mystery, and a past, she wasn’t even aware of.
Normally, I wouldn’t go near a show like this, but considering A24 produced it, and the onslaught of good early reviews, I decided to go for it. I was, and wasn’t, disappointed, with some episodes dragging and providing uninteresting plots, with others making good and informed developments as well as intriguing character-building.
Except for a major episode late in the show, the show is at its best when Rashida Jones is leading the cast. Her performance is really what makes the show work, with a nuanced portrayal of grief courtesy of a solid script, and exceptional worldbuilding, she is given a lot to work with.
The supporting characters are somewhat weak, with only Masa really getting built in his solo backstory episode, which was the highlight of the show for me. Sunny the Robot gets her own episode too, parodying game shows, which really works with its exposition. Those two episodes are easily the highlights of the show.
The visual language of this show isn’t particularly outlandish, but some of it really works with a retro-futuristic vibe courtesy of some pastel scenery and the bright lights of these Japanese cities. The costume design is great, and really on point for the setting.
I found the conclusion of the season to be somewhat rushed, and I also think it didn’t serve the plot particularly well. For the first half of the series, much of the thematic intention ties itself with grief and the way the grief is alleviated kind of just feels inconsequential. The villains of the film also feel like they’re not really a grievance to the main characters and at no point did I feel like they ever were a threat. Which is a shame.
Sunny thrives when it’s a character-driven drama, but when the show needs to resolve its mystery, it doesn’t come quite together. With some great performances and some interesting production design, the series sure will get some enjoyment out of any mystery fan.
Sunny was created by Katie Robbins and stars Rashida Jones, Joanna Sotomura, Hidetoshi Nishijima and Fares Belkheir. The series is produced by A24 and all ten episodes are now streaming on Apple TV+.
