For those who have not yet seen the series, this is a SPOILER-FREE Review.
As far as recent big-budget Netflix series that have premiered in the last couple of months go, we haven’t gotten anything really exciting or groundbreaking from the streaming giant. Does Sweet Tooth, executive produced by Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Robin Downey, fix that dry spell? Well, it is another post-apocalyptic series… It seems that every other television show out there, takes place during the end of the world.
I’m not going to lie and say that I’m not getting a little worn out on these kinds of stories. The creators and filmmakers of these projects really have to inject some heart and ingenuity into them for me to really grab hold and stay interested, nowadays. And above all else, they really need to find a fresh and different take on the genre. Otherwise it just gets lost in the shuffle. And I can say wholeheartedly… that Sweet Tooth is definitely different.
WHAT IS SWEET TOOTH ALL ABOUT?
The show follows our young protagonist Gus (Christian Convery), who’s a half human-half deer hybrid. He and his father (Will Forte) hide away from the outside world that has been ravaged by a virus. As the world was thrown into chaos, babies started being born as human/animal hybrids… and while some people found this to be Earth’s way of healing itself. Others have blamed these hybrids as the cause for the virus and have sworn to eradicate them all. Gus’ life is turned upside down when Jeppard (Nonso Anozie), comes into his life and sweeps him up in an adventure across the states to find his long-lost mother and hopefully find others, just like him.
IT STARS A KID WITH ANTLERS… IS THIS A CHILDREN’S SHOW?
One thing that is so apparent about this first season of Sweet Tooth is that it’s riding a very fine line of being cutesy; and for lack of better word, saccharine sweet all the while being a serious adult, dystopian tale, as well. I’m not sure if the show completely pulls it off. Particularly in some scenes at a hybrid refuge that almost made me feel like I was watching a children’s show. But, for a series starring a young child with antlers, I believe that Sweet Tooth can be gripping for both children and adults. There is some cursing, some scenes of peril, but pretty much this is a show that the whole family can enjoy on many different levels.
HOW ARE THE PERFORMERS?
One of the reasons it succeeds is because of its young star, Christian Convery. He holds the entire series on his shoulders and does it with ease. Not only is he adorable and precocious, but he also handles the heavy emotional beats of the show, so well. There was not a moment in this series that I felt like I was watching a cloying child actor overact. So in my book that means Convery is a pro. Also, Anozie as his right-hand man and protector, is finally able to show off his acting chops and what a warm and endearing presence he can be after being completely wasted in the Artemis Fowl film, in a role that is very similar to this.
I must say that I was a bit bothered that we got very little character development for Jepperd in the first half of the season. Luckily the showrunners are able to mend that as they close it out. Stefania LaVie Owen as a young warrior named Bear, who joins the two as the season progresses, brings humanity and heart to the scorned young woman. I think that teenagers in the audience will end up relating to her character the most.
IS THE SERIES GRIPPING ENOUGH TO BINGE EIGHT EPISODES?
Sweet Tooth is also one of Netflix’s most gorgeous-looking productions, it is so vibrant and the colors really pop off of the screen. The world-building is also fully realized and on-par with Netflix’s early-2021 series, Tribes of Europa. The world that they have created here definitely looks like a banged-up version of our own. Though it has it’s own unique quirks and rules that allow its viewers to feel fully transported into its realm.
I also think that the story is quite engaging. The mysteries created are bountiful, even if the resolutions and revelations are a bit underwhelming. I also couldn’t help but feel like there were a few episodes in the middle of the season that were almost filler. Kind of like one-off mini adventures that didn’t have much of an impact on the overall story arc… and that made the overall pace of this first outing suffer.
WILL THE SHOW BE TOO “WEIRD” FOR GENERAL AUDIENCES?
At the end of the day though, I am not sure, exactly, who Sweet Tooth is for. I think there will be many kids and adults who embrace it with open arms, but I also think that many will ignore it completely for how utterly strange it is. I also see adults turning it off if they aren’t watching with their families, because there are many moments that feel like you’re watching kids’ entertainment. And there will be many parents who turn it off, if their kids are too young to be watching some of the more mature content in the series. Hopefully, there will be enough viewers who are able to embrace that child-like wonder inside of themselves, because Sweet Tooth is a sweeping and gripping adventure and definitely deserves a second season.
