Sweet Tooth is based on the DC Comic by the same name, and it may not be as dark, but the story and visuals are very impressive.
Sweet Tooth is based on a very dark comic book series and although the show is not as dark as the books go, it keeps true to the main storyline and characters. This show shines a light on human nature, mother nature, and sometimes hits a bit close to home when discussing a deadly virus.
In Sweet Tooth a virus has killed many of the humans on Earth, and around the same time all babies were born as animal-human hybrids. No one knows which came first, or if they are even related. Gus (Christian Convery), a young deer-human hybrid, lives in isolation before befriending a loner named Jepperd (Nonso Anozie). Meanwhile, Doctor Singh (Adeel Akhtar) is doing everything he can to help keep his wife (Aliza Vellani) alive, as she has been the only survivor of the sick, but is living with it every day.
What Works With Sweet Tooth
The story itself is quite dark and twisted, in more ways than one. The humans are hunting down hybrid children and killing them in cold blood. While not nearly as dark as the DC Comic, likely due to the fact that Gus, whose nickname is Sweet Tooth, is a bit younger in the show, it still goes to a dark place.
Of course the virus storyline hits a bit closer to home now, considering what the world has gone through this past year. Most of the human population has been wiped out, and “the sick” comes back in waves every so often. Humans are all born as hybrids, meaning that they are becoming extinct.
The beautiful side of this is that it is allowing nature to thrive. Herds of wild animals roam the lands, vegetation has taken over in cities, and the Earth is becoming healthy again. Sure, this is something that has been done before, but Sweet Tooth really shines a light on it, and looks gorgeous in doing so. The scenery is visually stunning when taken in, and there are many shots that are just fantastic to look at.
There are a lot of little details in this show that help to make the story believable. The way that Gus’ ears deliver his emotions is pure perfection. When he is sad or scared they shrink down, when he is happy they perk up, and when he is excited they wiggle around and he can hardly contain them. This is such a brilliant move, and the fact that they look so real, makes it even better.
Since this is a show about adventure, there is a decent amount of action as well. It gets dark at times, and has a bit of blood, as well as murder. This is not a show for young children, and it does cross a line every now and then, however it might feel like mild violence to hardcore fans.
What Doesn’t Work With Sweet Tooth
Unfortunately, not all of the CGI works. There are a few scenes in which we see animals running free and half of the time they just don’t work. There is also a young gopher boy, who doesn’t quite look right as well. However, it should be mentioned that the press screeners were marked as not having complete VFX, so it is very possible these issues will be cleaned up before release.
There are also some pacing issues, which often happens when you go back and forth between different groups of characters who have not yet met each other. While it isn’t completely jarring, there are sometimes it feels like you haven’t seen a group in too long.
Having dabbled in the comic books a little, it is disappointing that the show does not go quite as dark as it could have. The story is still great, with a good amount of grit, but going just a tad darker would have done wonders. Netflix has rated Sweet Tooth as TV-15, which likely has to do with keeping it at the level they did.
Overall Thoughts
There is so much to love about Sweet Tooth, from the story line, to the dark and gritty sides, to the cinematography and set design, to the believability. The actors in this show do a fantastic job of portraying their characters, so much so that they make them and the story completely believable. There are several child actors involved, which are always hit or miss, and every single one of them delivers.
The biggest problem with this show is the CGI missteps, which again, could be solved in final before the world sees Sweet Tooth. If you are a fan of the comic books, this will likely be an enjoyable show. And even if you aren’t, Sweet Tooth is more than worth watching.
Sweet Tooth is a dark and gritty story wrapped in a visually stunning bow, offering messages of nature thriving, and hope for humankind.
Sweet Tooth season one is just 8 episodes, each approximately 50 minutes in length, making it a super bingeable series. But be warned, it ends with a massive cliffhanger that will have viewers begging for season two!
About Sweet Tooth
Ten years ago “The Great Crumble” wreaked havoc on the world and led to the mysterious emergence of hybrids — babies born part human, part animal. Unsure if hybrids are the cause or result of the virus, many humans fear and hunt them. After a decade of living safely in his secluded forest home, a sheltered hybrid deer-boy named Gus (Christian Convery) unexpectedly befriends a wandering loner named Jepperd (Nonso Anozie).
Together they set out on an extraordinary adventure across what’s left of America in search of answers— about Gus’ origins, Jepperd’s past, and the true meaning of home. But their story is full of unexpected allies and enemies, and Gus quickly learns the lush, dangerous world outside the forest is more complex than he ever could have imagined.
Based on the DC comic book series by Jeff Lemire, SWEET TOOTH is executive produced by Jim Mickle, Beth Schwartz, Robert Downey, Jr., Susan Downey, Amanda Burrell, and Linda Moran.
