Adapted by Jim Mickle (We Are What We Are, Cold in July) from a comic book written by Jeff Lemire, Sweet Tooth is one of those Netflix originals that makes you forget the swath of mediocre and bad content you get from the platform all year round. It’s not a downright masterpiece, but it’s a heartfelt story that feels like the best parts of E.T., The Road and The Mandalorian came together to form a coherent whole.
After a pandemic devastated the world, only strange animal hybrids were born from human pregnancies. The oldest such hybrid, Gus (Christian Convery) has been brought up in the seclusion of Yosemite National Park by his father, Pubba (Will Forte). After Pubba passes away, Gus has to adjust to growing up by himself, until a fateful encounter with poachers leads to Gus meeting Jepperd (Nonso Anozie). Gus sets out with the ‘Big Man’ to travel to Colorado, where he hopes to find his mother, Birdie (Amy Seimetz).
That’s but one of three story arcs in the first season. Aditya Singh (Adeel Akhtar) is taking care of his wife, Rani (Aliza Vellani) who is the longest surviving patient of the Sick. However, they soon get discovered and end up meeting the sinister General Abbot (Neil Sandilands), who runs the Last Army, which rounds up any hybrid children it finds. Then there’s Aimee (Dania Ramirez), who runs a sanctuary for hybrid refugees.
The core main characters are all well developed. Convery is excellent as Gus, giving one of the best child performances in recent years. He has the same concerns and behaviors as any other child, and he is stubborn and persuasive to a fault. Nonso is compelling as Jepperd, playing the role of a reluctant guardian that warms up to Gus, and later, Bear (Stefania LaVie Owen), who joins the two on their trip to Colorado.
Sweet Tooth is beautifully shot, with a great soundtrack by Jeff Grace.
The pacing is also well done, as the show doesn’t feel bloated at all throughout the eight episodes. The show’s apocalypse feels markedly different from what we’ve seen with the likes of The Walking Dead. Civilization hasn’t completely collapsed, but it’s ruled by fear and uncertainty. The Last Men are present across all facets of this society, exploiting that fear and keeping everyone in line.
Fans of the original comic book may be disappointed by the stark difference in tone between the show and the source material, which was much darker and had religious undertones. This is a more hopeful take, and although the season ends on a dark note, there is hope at the end of the tunnel.
Some of the secondary characters aren’t as compelling or well-realized. General Abbot, in particular, feels like a cartoonish caricature. Rani is also unlikable and selfish, constantly prodding Adi to look out for themselves and try to find the cure, even if it means harming (or even killing) hybrids.
Still, Sweet Tooth is an engaging watch. It’s well-made, and it will be interesting to see how it adapts the rest of the source material. Jim Mickle has proved to be an effective showrunner, and hopefully, he can take the show to new heights.