The Sticky (Canada, 2024)
Loosely inspired by the real-life Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, The Sticky delivers a lighter, more compact take on Fargo-style absurdity, set against the unique backdrop of Montreal. With six episodes clocking in at just 25 minutes each, this Prime Video series offers a fast-paced, entertaining dive into one of Canada’s most bizarre crimes. At the center is Ruth Clarke (Margo Martindale), a maple syrup farmer battling bureaucratic overreach to save her land. She teams up with a bumbling but resourceful duo: Mike Byrne (Chris Diamantopoulos), a hot-headed Boston mobster, and Remy Bouchard (Guillaume Cyr), a mild-mannered French-Canadian security guard. Together, they plot to rob Quebec’s syrup surplus, drawing the attention of clever investigators and dangerous adversaries.
One of The Sticky’s biggest strengths is its brevity. At just six concise episodes, the show avoids the indulgent tangents that often weigh down similar crime comedies. Where Fargo, despite its many great qualities, sometimes meanders into unnecessary asides, The Sticky gets straight to business. Every episode advances the plot at a brisk pace, with no filler or wasted moments. The police, refreshingly competent, catch on to the heist early, keeping the tension high. Jokes are sharp and don’t overstay their welcome. This tight pacing proves that absurd crime stories are best kept lean and focused.
The characters strike a great balance between being humorously flawed and capable enough to pull off the heist. Margo Martindale shines as Ruth, delivering a charismatic performance that feels perfectly tailored to her talents. While it’s not a stretch from her usual roles, her presence is magnetic and anchors the show. Jamie Lee Curtis makes a memorable cameo in episode five, playing a hitwoman who narrates the series’ standout sequence: the staging of the heist. It’s a fun, Emmy-bait role that Curtis clearly relishes.
While undeniably fun and breezy, The Sticky never quite rises above being a lighthearted diversion. The script, though functional, doesn’t deliver enough standout jokes and occasionally repeats itself (like Ruth twice mentioning the syrup director’s “hard-on” for her land). The direction excels in suspenseful and action-packed moments—such as a tense shootout in the woods and a nail-biting garage confrontation—but it’s less effective in its comedic beats, which sometimes feel flat. The series also shows its budget constraints, with title sequences and end credits looking surprisingly amateurish for a Prime Video production.
Despite these flaws, The Sticky moves at such a brisk and entertaining pace that its shortcomings are easy to forgive. The cliffhanger finale suggests more could be on the horizon, and while this story feels self-contained, another season could work—provided the writers can expand the narrative organically. Though not groundbreaking, The Sticky is a breezy crime comedy worth watching for its sharp pacing, strong performances, and unique charm.