Calling all amateur detectives: Two streaming mystery series require your immediate attention.
The first, “Furious,” twists the trope of a tortured male cop tailing a sadistic killer by sending a haunted female investigator after a murderess. While its debut season is still airing on Hulu, the second installment of “Sugar” has now wrapped on Apple TV. That series follows a private investigator around L.A. as he searches for a missing person. His name is John Sugar, and he’s got secrets of his own — not the garden variety debts and affairs, either.
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For movie night, consider dark comedies about influencers and neurofibromatosis (well, sort of) newly added to Netflix and Kanopy. Here’s our latest streaming guide:
‘Furious’
The serial killer in “Furious” (Lola Petticrew) isn’t motivated by fame or long-suppressed psychosis. She’s on a reckless revenge quest, picking off men who trafficked or raped underage girls until she gets to the powerful, seemingly untouchable ringleader.
On the other side of the law is FBI agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum), a woman who’s no stranger to the impulses of violent men. She and her reluctant mentor Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine) see patterns their male colleagues don’t, and doggedly pursue the case even as some of them beg them off — raising questions about just how far this trafficking ring goes.
The Hulu series, the latest from “The Dropout” and “Dying for Sex” creator Elizabeth Meriwether, naturally invites comparison to the Jeffrey Epstein case. But “Furious” isn’t just a speculative thriller where those on the Epstein list suffer real consequences. It’s also invested in the messy, even ugly ways victims process their trauma. Nora offers a bit of a thesis statement while discussing the Medusa myth. “She’s a victim, but it doesn’t make her a good person,” the jaded agent explains. “It turns her into a monster.” New episodes drop Mondays.
‘Sugar’
In its first season, “Sugar” established the look and vibe of a throwback L.A. noir. Private detective John Sugar (Colin Farrell) dressed like a hero from the classic Hollywood era, watched all those movies and drove a baby blue convertible around town as he searched for the granddaughter of a legendary film producer. Then the show threw a jarring curveball that soured many viewers on the season.
That twist is still a part of Season 2, which just wrapped Aug. 7, but it’s more smoothly blended into the background. In this outing, up-and-coming boxer Danny Moon (Jin Ha) hires Sugar to find his troubled brother Ji (Raymond Lee). The investigation puts him at odds with a crooked, menacing sheriff (Tony Dalton, aka Lalo Salamanca from “Better Call Saul”), all while he flirts with an intriguing love interest (Laura Donnelly). It’s impossibly cool and surprisingly funny, when the action isn’t setting you on edge. Check out all eight episodes of the new case on Apple TV.
‘A Different Man’
One of the best movies of 2024 is bizarre, moving and totally unpredictable. That also makes it pretty hard to encapsulate in a few sentences, but here goes nothing. Edward (Adam Pearson) begins the story as an actor with neurofibromatosis, a rare genetic condition that, in his case, manifests as facial disfigurement. But after a dramatic medical treatment, he reinvents himself as a successful realtor (Sebastian Stan). He’s eager to leave his old self in the past and finally romance his neighbor Ingrid (Renate Reinsve). When she writes a play about her (presumed dead) friend Edward, though, a man named Oswald (Pearson again) auditions and charms everyone. Except for Edward, who stews in jealousy and questions his sanity as he stares at his old reflection.
There’s a lot more going on in this startlingly original comedy/body horror/head trip of a movie. See for yourself on Kanopy, a free streaming service available to Free Library cardholders.
‘Ingrid Goes West’
This 2017 satire of social media and influencers is as relevant as ever nine years after its release. After moving to California, Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza) stalks and cons her way into a friendship with Instagram star Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen). It all hinges on a elaborate series of lies masking Ingrid’s mental instability and deep loneliness, which gets harder to maintain as more people enter the picture. The movie goes to some pretty dark places, particularly in its finale, but if you ask Ingrid, it was all worth it for the likes. Stream “Ingrid Goes West” on Netflix.
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