One of the most distinct characteristics of the new Apple TV+ series “Sugar” is the way it cuts scenes from classic Hollywood films into its present day story of detective John Sugar (Colin Farrell). While the technique is novel, if not experimental, the connections being made are clear: Sugar is a cinephile obsessed with old Hollywood movies, while creator Mark Protosevich’s neo-noir series is steeped in the tropes of these 1940s and 50s black and white films.

The connections are so strong, and the intercutting works so well, the real surprise is that the cinephile Protosevich didn’t script them.

“It was all done after the fact, so I had no idea until I saw it how many [and] which clips [they used],” Farrell told IndieWire, adding he was pleasantly surprised to see himself juxtaposed with some of his all-time favorite films, like “Sunset Boulevard.” “It’s a really fun alignment for me,...