Summary
Sunny, Apple TV+ latest sci-fi thriller, continues an impressive Rotten Tomatoes trend for beloved entertainment company A24. Founded in 2012 by film vets Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, the independent production and distribution banner is perhaps the most well-known for its films. Bolstered by genre-spanning hits, like Alex Garland’s sci-fi psychological thrillerEx Machinaand Robert Eggers' folk horror filmThe Witch,A24 helped renew mainstream movie-goers' interest in indie and arthouse-style films. Since then, the company has backed projects with cult-like followings as well as groundbreaking Oscar winners.
For many cinephiles,A24 has become synonymous with quality — no matter the genre. As of 2024, the company’s catalog includes a wide range of movies, from the Daniels’Everything Everywhere All at Onceand Barry Jenkins’Moonlight,to Greta Gerwig’sLady Birdand Ari Aster’sMidsommar. Although A24’s list of projects is pretty eclectic, many of the movies and TV shows under its banner are mind-bending, psychological thrillers or heightened genre fare that explores trauma and grief.Sunny,Apple TV+’s sci-fi show with 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, is no exception.
A24’s Sunny Is Apple TV+’s Latest Sci-Fi Thriller Success
Rashida Jones' Sunny Is Also A Searing Dark Comedy About Grief
Based on Colin O’Sullivan’s novelThe Dark Manual, A24’sSunnyjuggles several genres and tones across its 10-episode first season. There are definitely sci-fi elements that make the world feel like a slightly different version of our own, but a core mystery propels the plot along, givingSunnyshades of a thriller. However,the series is also a dark comedy that takes a more cynical approach to the typical slice-of-life movie about lossand grief.Sunny’s cast of charactersis led by Suzie Sakamoto (Rashida Jones), a misanthropic American woman living in Kyoto, Japan.
This discovery sends the often-harsh, not-so-great-at-grieving Suzie on a thrilling investigation into Masa’s secrets.
In the show’s pilot, Suzie learns that her husband, Masa (Hidetoshi Nishijima), and young son were involved in a tragic plane crash. While Suzie’s mother-in-law, Noriko (Judy Ongg), holds out hope that her family is still alive, Suzie is more of a realist. Soon enough,Suzie receives a domestic robot, Sunny (Joanna Sotomura), from her husband’s robotics companyas a kind of condolence. Allegedly, Masa programmed Sunny for Suzie, even though he worked in the refrigeration department. This discovery sends the often-harsh, not-so-great-at-grieving Suzie on a thrillinginvestigation into Sunny and Masa’s past.
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From Euphoria to Beef, A24 Has An Impressive TV Track Record
A24’s TV Shows Are Just As Acclaimed As Its Films
This year alone,A24’s best movieshave also been some of the film industry’s biggest commercial and critical successes, includingCivil War,I Saw the TV Glow,Love Lies Bleeding,Tuesday,MaXXXine, and thestirring Colman Domingo-ledSing Sing, among others. But A24 also boasts an impressive track record when it comes to producing hit TV series. From its first stabs at television —Playing House,Random Acts of Flyness— to the programs that cemented the company’s place in the TV landscape —Ramy,Euphoria—A24 has perfectly grafted its film sensibilities onto another medium.
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Sunny’s mystery drives its narrative and, though it begins to taper off after a while, the writing isn’t content to stay in a box of tropes.
Almost All Of A24’s TV Series Have Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes Scores
A24 Has Very Few “Rotten” Shows
Recently, all theA24-produced TV releaseshave been hits with critics and audiences alike. Shows likeSunny,The Sympathizer,Such Brave Girls, andHazbin Hotelcontinue the trend set by a string of recent successes, includingDreaming Whilst Black,Survival of the Thickest,The Curse, and, of course, the multi-Emmy-winning hitBeef. In fact,A24’s Rotten Tomatoes track record boasts just two rotten TV shows— the misfireMoonbase 8and the truly awfulThe Idol. It’s an impressive pattern of television success, and it’s exciting to see Rashida Jones’Sunnycarry onA24’s near-spotless showing.
New episodes ofSunnyair on Wednesdays through June 07, 2025, on Apple TV+.
Sunny
Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, grapples with the mysterious disappearance of her husband and son in a plane crash. Given a domestic robot named Sunny by her husband’s company, Suzie initially resents Sunny but soon they form a unique bond. Together, they uncover the dark truth behind her family’s disappearance, becoming entangled in a dangerous and hidden world.
