Apple TV’s sci-fi mystery showSunnyhas earned positive reviews, but fans are eager to find other shows and movies that have similar atmospheres.Sunnystars Rashida Jonesas an American living in Japan who receives a mysterious robot companion after her husband disappears in a plane crash.Sunny’s season 1 finaleprovided a satisfying ending, and if there are plans for a season 2, the wait will be more than some fans can bear.
Fortunately, there are plenty of good options for fans who can’t get enough ofSunny.There are other shows and movies which feature compelling mysteries set in the near-future, or ones which probe at the sticky issue of artificial intelligence.Apple TV has some great sci-fi showsthat fit the bill. Fans ofSunnywho admire the show’s stylish aesthetic and dark mystery will want to check out similar shows and movies to ease the pain of season 1 coming to an end.
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The Signalis a German-language sci-fi mystery show that starts with a mystery that shares many striking similarities toSunny.The show follows a man named Sven whose wife disappears while flying home to see him. This has many parallels with Suzie’s story inSunny, since her investigation begins when her husband and her son both go missing after a plane crash.
In both shows, the protagonist has to solve a mystery related to their spouse’s disappearance and the secrets they kept during their lives.
The plane crash isn’t the only similarity betweenThe SignalandSunny.In both shows, the protagonist has to solve a mystery related to their spouse’s disappearance and the secrets they kept during their lives. Sven inThe Signaland Suzie inSunnyboth have companions on their journeys, too. Sven has to care for his hearing-impaired daughter, while Suzie is saddled with a robot assistant.The Signalis a compelling mystery for fans of sci-fi.
One of the things which helpsSunnystand out from other sci-fi shows is its inventive visual design.Sunny’s version ofJapanlooks like a near-future inspired by the classic principles of aesthetic design. Sunny may be a futuristic blob, perhaps seen as a humanoid continuation of the design trends in smart speakers, but other gadgets look like they are plucked from the 1960s, andSunny’s soundtrack also dips into the classics.
LikeSunny, Heralso probes at the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence.
Spike Jonze’sHeruses a similar lookbook. Although the story is set in the future, the characters dress like it’s the 1970s, and their gadgets are made with the timeless appeal of cigarette cases and compact mirrors. LikeSunny, Heralso probes at the potential pitfalls of artificial intelligence. Joaquin Phoenix plays a writer who falls in love with an artificially intelligent chatbot, turning his back on the potential for real romance so that he can spend more time with “Samantha”.
Devsis a sci-fi miniseries created and directed by Alex Garland. The story follows a woman looking for answers after her partner’s death, just likeSunny,and it also sharesSunny’s skeptical view of artificial intelligence.Devsmostly takes place on the expansive campus of a Silicon Valley tech giant with top-secret nefarious projects which look to use the dark potential of AI.
Devsfollows a woman looking for answers after her partner’s death, just likeSunny,and it also sharesSunny’s skeptical view of artificial intelligence.
Rashida Jones and Nick Offerman used to work together onParks and Recreation,butDevsandSunnyhave given them each a twisted sci-fi series of their own. Offerman plays the despotic head of the big tech company inDevs, willing to crush anyone who interferes with his warped idea of utopia. It’s a performance that seems far removed from his usual comedic roles.Alex Garland also directedEx Machina,a movie about the dangers of AI which could also delight fans ofSunny.
Brian and Charlesis a sci-fi comedy about a hapless inventor who creates a best friend out of spare parts he finds lying around. The obvious artificiality of the movie is part of what makes it so funny, as Charles is obviously an actor wearing a bulky box around his torso. Brian and Charles develop a weird friendship with elements of a father-son relationship, but it still manages to feel sweet.
Brian and Charlestakes the basic joke ofSunny, in which a human feels genuine emotion toward a lifeless robot, and pushes it to its hilarious limit.
Brian and Charlesis much lighter and more comedic thanSunny.There is no murder conspiracy and no plane crash of which to speak. Still, Rashida Jones does still get plenty of laughs inSunny,especially when Suzie is despairing at Sunny.Brian and Charlestakes this basic joke, one of a human feeling genuine emotion toward a lifeless robot, and pushes it to its hilarious limit.
Humanswas first released back in 2015, so it predates the latest surge in AI interest by many years. A lot of the issues thatHumansexplores have become more relevant and more frightening with recent advances in robotics and AI technology, and many shows and movies have tried to copy the blueprint set out by the show.Humansimagines a world where anthropomorphic robots called synths are being introduced into the world.
Humansis a fascinating and often disturbing portrait of a future that could become a reality very soon.
Humanshas 24 episodes across its three seasons, and this gives it the scope to look at the ethical and psychological issues of robots from many different angles. The show suggests that the desire to have humanoid robot assistants is linked to humanity’s animalistic urge to dominate and control others.Humansis a fascinating and often disturbing portrait of a future that could become a reality very soon.
Although one is a live-action TV show and one is an animated movie created for a younger audience,SunnyandBig Hero 6have a lot in common. For starters, both shows mix American and Japanese influences.Sunnyfollows an American living in Japan, whileBig Hero 6imagines a strange hybird city called San Fransokyo, combining the two high-tech hubs of the United States and Japan.
Although one is a live-action TV show and one is an animated movie created for a younger audience,SunnyandBig Hero 6have a lot in common.
BothSunnyandBig Hero 6follow protagonists who are gifted robot assistants after the loss of a loved one. From this starting point, the two protagonists go on a journey with their new robotic friends to uncover a conspiracy.Big Hero 6is much lighter entertainment, since it’s created for kids, but it’s interesting to see the overlap it shares withSunny.Fans ofBig Hero 6might also be interested in the spinoff TV show,Baymax!
Finchstars Tom Hanks as an engineer navigating a post-apocalyptic world with hardly any survivors. His only companion is his dog, so he builds a robot to take care of his pet as he suffers from a terminal illness.Finchhas some dark moments, but Hanks has the enduring charm to balance them out with levity and warmth. He is a comforting presence in a barren wasteland, and he provides some much-needed humanity.
Finchhas some dark moments, but Hanks has the enduring charm to balance them out with levity and warmth.
Finchshares a more positive vision of artificial intelligence thanSunny.Finch doesn’t always trust his own creation, but he is in charge of their power dynamic. He has to teach the robot about the fundamentals of care and love, and the story reflects parenthood in this way. InSunny,Suzie initially distrusts her new companion, but she grows to depend on her as a vessel for sharing her feelings, even though she knows deep down that Sunny is no substitute for human interaction.
3Robot & Frank (2012)
Robot And Frank Subverts Some Sci-Fi Tropes
There are plenty of movies and TV shows in which artificial intelligence ignores human morality in favor of its programmed objectives, dating all the way back to HAL in2001: A Space Odyssey. Robot and Frankputs a fun twist on this trope, as a human takes advantage of a robot’s complete lack of morals. Frank learns that his new robot companion’s main objective is to assist him, so he trains it as a jewel thief.
Robot and Frankputs a fun twist on the evil AI trope, as a human takes advantage of a robot’s complete lack of morals.
InSunny,Suzie discovers the world of hacking, where people alter their homebots to perform sexual acts or to fight for sport. This reflects the way that Frank finds a loophole in his robot’s programming which allows him to take full advantage.Robot and Frankhas a lot of humor, but it’s also a moving meditation on the limits of technology. Frank’s deteriorating health gives the movie plenty of emotional thrust, right up until its bittersweet finale.
Stripped back,Sunnyhas all the ingredients of an episode ofBlack Mirror.It tells a compelling story about the ramifications of a new technology, and it features plenty of twists. Many of thebest episodes ofBlack Mirrorfocus on the potential of artificial intelligence in some way, and many more episodes question how far people trust tech companies with their private information and their lives.
Many of the best episodes ofBlack Mirrorfocus on the potential of artificial intelligence in some way.
There are a few episodes ofBlack Mirrorwhich are particularly good fits for fans ofSunny.Season 5’s “Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too” features a rounded, white robot just like Sunny, and Ashley Too is just as much of a mystery. Season 2’s “Be Right Back” follows a grieving woman who tries to fill her new emotional void using artificial intelligence. This mirrors Suzie’s emotional journey inSunny.
WithSeveranceseason 2finally setting a release date, it’s the perfect time to catch up on one of Apple TV’s best shows. LikeSunny,Severanceis a dark sci-fi mystery that unravels at a steady pace. The show imagines a world in which people can surgically “sever” their work lives from their personal lives, so that they have no memory of the outside world as soon as they set foot in the office.
Severanceis the perfect show for fans ofParks and Recreationwho watchedSunnyto see Rashida Jones.
Severanceis the perfect show for fans ofParks and Recreationwho watchedSunnyto see Rashida Jones. Adam Scott, known to some fans as Ben Wyatt, shows that he can blend his well-renowned comedy skills with surprisingly deft dramatic skills, just as Jones does inSunny.Both shows can be funny when they want to be, but they never let their quirky humor get in the way of the compelling mystery.
Sunny
Cast
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.
