A stand-out in Sugar, which I can't wait for more of, Amy Ryan gives a performance full of raw honesty in the 2020 movie Lost Girls, a Netflix crime drama that the streamer has tucked away.
Sugar had the most bonkers plot twist of 2024 — and some of its many fans were quick to have their say about it – but it didn't stop it being one of Apple TV Plus's most popular homegrown shows.
The combination of a stylish neo-noir thriller, film references by the score, and top-drawer acting from multiple award winners Colin Farrell, Amy Ryan and James Cromwell were irresistible. All three were very much at home in the tough, intriguing storyline, Ryan in particular, whose flair for the dark and gritty is also in the spotlight right now in Netflix's Lost Girls, a true crime-inspired slow-burner.
The 56-year-old star always makes a strong impression on screen with her down-to-earth style, one that makes it easy to forget that she's acting. Nominated for an Oscar for Gone Baby Gone (2007) and with acclaimed performances in Birdman (2014) and Bridge Of Spies (2015), she's on fiery form over on Netflix in Lost Girls (2020) as a mother desperately trying to establish what happened to her oldest daughter.
When the police prove reluctant to help, she launches her own investigation, discovering along the way that the girl was a sex worker and the fear grows that she could have been murdered. What starts as a missing person story turns into a hunt for a serial killer. And with an ensemble cast including Gabriel Byrne, Thomasin McKenzie and Lola Kirke, it’s an intense, emotional watch and one that comes with no easy answers. It’s also one of Ryan’s grittiest performances, full of commitment and raw honesty and is well worth digging out.
Sugar future
The genre-bending Sugar scored 81% on Rotten Tomatoes with its murky mystery. Private investigator John Sugar (Farrell) is hired by top Hollywood producer, Jonathan Siegel (Cromwell) to find his missing granddaughter. It's a trail that leads to a network of powerful people who know far too much about her disappearance. As he digs deeper into the sinister plot with help from a face from his past, the enigmatic Melanie (Ryan), he also opens up to her about the reason behind his unique powers as a detective. And it’s also the main reason he took on the case.
Last autumn’s news of a second outing for the show was exactly what fans wanted to hear. Left in limbo after the jaw-dropping revelation in season one’s finale, they were desperate to know where the story would take them. From what we’ve heard so far, that’s exactly what they’ll get when it returns, with the PI back in Los Angeles and investigating another missing person. At the same time, he’ll be looking for answers surrounding his sister, who has also vanished. But it’s a safe bet that the story will be more complicated than that. Farrell, who also executive produces, will definitely be back in the title role, although the rest of the cast has yet to be confirmed and there’s no word on filming or a premiere date.
As Sugar's confidante, Melanie helps introduce a crucial part of the show's narrative. Whether she’ll still be by his side in season two remains to be seen...
Lost Girls is on Netflix in the US and UK. Sugar is available via Apple TV Plus.
