'Sunny' is the new collaboration between A24 and Apple TV+, in what both companies describe as a mystery and black comedy series. The A24 logo points and the Apple logo shoots. The obvious intention of those responsible is to make it a series that can be felt as “different”, “particular” and “alternative”. Something that in itself does not guarantee anything, but that usually provides a “special” personality and charm that is at least intriguing and tempting. It is a risk… calculated, as can be the series itself, always wanting to move away (even without going crazy) from what could well be a mainstream trend to carve out its own path of tiles. This ends up leading to a series that is not entirely organic and perhaps somewhat affected that debates, in a somewhat irregular and too temperate way, between the stimulating nature of its potential, the delicacy of its elegance and the lack of forcefulness of its development. It's the risk of wanting to be different and not being precise, of wanting to play with so much at once and not having the proposal feel like a rock falling down a hill hitting some poor fool's head. It's… instability. 'Sunny' It doesn't seem round because it isn't, which in a certain sense makes its imperfection even more evident. Its otherwise stimulating imperfection that forces us to continually debate to what extent it is a yes or a no. Gratuitous or not. To what extent does innate curiosity become pure satisfaction, being a retro-futuristic “singularity” with a very marked Japanese accent between contemporary science fiction, corporate thriller, criminal black comedy or technological drama that more than one will dismiss with a laconic “it's for geeks.” Well yes, being from A24, why not? Isn't that what it's all about, making a series that can feel “different”, “particular” and “alternative”? And 'Sunny' It is in the same measure as for example 'Saying goodbye to Yang', another mutant hybrid of soft science fiction with problems to maintain the balance between its different elements, in what in both cases can be considered a bold and refined exercise of narrative juggling. Even more so in the case of 'Sunny'a more charged and also more surprising cocktail that, on the other hand, the format perhaps forces to be more contemporaneous than necessary. Perhaps it would have worked better as a film? It doesn't have to, since its ten 30-minute episodes are a very tasty weekly ration that works as well as its exquisite ninth episode. However, it lacks the overwhelming conviction of, for example, 'Ex Machina' that Alex Garland himself has not achieved again. Because, in a way, it is as if 'Sunny' would not have broken it to the extent that it promised to do so. Which does not mean that it is not well played…
