TV reviews: Sunny, starring Rashida Jones and a bubbly robot, is an intriguing dark comedic thriller

Sunny

July 10, streaming on Apple TV Plus

In a world where AI can resurrect a long-dead singer, cars can drive themselves and you can use your phone to turn on the lights, heating and John Farnham’s Whispering Jack (just for example) in your faraway house, surely personal androids can’t be far off.

Given how much I love my robot vacuum cleaner Dusty, you’d think I’d be the first to sign up — except we all know how that ends, don’t we M3gan?

In this dark comedy, starring Rashida Jones, while it’s clear from the opening sequence that the robots may well go rogue, the human drama is at the forefront, as Jones’ Suzie, an American living in Kyoto, struggles with the news that her husband and son have disappeared in a plane crash.

To help her, she’s given Sunny, a bubbly HomeBot that her husband has apparently programmed just for her at the electronics company where he works, despite the fact she hates robots and as far as she knew, he only worked on refrigerators. Add to that, his phone is ringing out, instead of going to voicemail, and Suzie has an inkling something is seriously amiss.

After trying to dispose of Sunny in various ways, Suzie eventually overcomes her resentment at the robot’s attempts to comfort her and, as the logline goes, they “develop an unexpected friendship, as together they uncover the dark truth of what really happened to Suzie’s family, becoming dangerously enmeshed in a world Suzie never knew existed”.

Jones brings fabulous nuance to Suzie, a sardonic American in a sea of uber-polite Japanese. She tries to hide her crippling grief behind a brash facade, but vulnerability shines through. In a poignant moment, after Sunny mimics a gesture of her husband’s, Suzie asks her to do it again, and again.

There’s an element of buddy comedy, as the acerbic Suzie and the eager-to-please, effervescent Sunny butt heads. But as it becomes clear that Suzie is surrounded by humans who aren’t what they appear, Sunny might yet be her best bet.

Intrigued to see where this one goes as it develops into what could be a really intriguing thriller.

The Serpent Queen S2

July 12, streaming on Stan

I first came across Samantha Morton on The Walking Dead, in one of the later seasons when, if I’m honest, I was watching on autopilot. Morton’s Alpha made me pay attention — one of the best villains the show put to screen, up there with Negan and The Governor. In this historical drama, she is equally engrossing as the infamous Catherine de Medici, an Italian noblewoman who became queen of France through marriage, then held power via the rule of her three sons. Described as fairly historically accurate, it’s a period piece but with some anachronistic touches, of course, including Patti Smith and PJ Harvey tunes in season one. De Medici’s life is great fodder and we’re excited by the addition of Minnie Driver as Queen Elizabeth I.

Defending Jacob

Streaming now, Apple TV Plus

I missed this series when it came out in 2020; it’s worth a watch if you are in the same boat. Starring Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery as the parents of a teen accused of murder, it is definitely on the harrowing end of the spectrum, but the performances are excellent.

Little J & Big Cuz S4

July 8, 6.05pm, NITV

New episodes of this Logie-winning show, with voice actors including WA’s Kylie Bracknell and Mark Coles Smith, are dropping as part of special NAIDOC Week programming on NITV and SBS. Narelda Jacobs and Steven Oliver will also host a new show, Big Backyard Quiz, with a line-up of comedians and musicians on July 13. There’s a dedicated hub on SBS On Demand.

Bondi Rescue S18

July 10, 7.30pm, Network 10

This show is doing something right, returning for a mammoth 18th season. It’s sticking to the tried-and-true combination of a busy summer, hapless swimmers, deadly sea life and numerous hair-raising near misses for our favourite troupe of Aussie lifeguards.