‘Phony’ Review: Connie Britton and Sam Nivola Lead Hulu’s Likably Quirky and Beguiling Paranoid Mystery Series

Hulu’s *Phony* follows a teenager who wakes from a coma after a car crash convinced that his mother has been replaced by an impostor. The series blends a paranoid mystery with coming-of-age comedy, using the suspicion to explore how unsettling it can be when someone familiar seems subtly changed.

Sam Nivola plays Sonny, whose close relationship with his mother Ellen, played by Connie Britton, becomes the centre of the mystery. He seeks help from new allies, including a conspiracy-minded private investigator, while the show leaves open whether Ellen is an impostor or Sonny is responding to trauma from the crash. The reviewer saw four of the eight episodes and found the series promising, though its eventual resolution and balance of tones remain uncertain.