Netflix tries to make the pandemic palatable with this fantasy drama about an army of half-human, half-animal children, born after the rise of a mysterious virus. You’re going to need a drink<br>
In Jeff Lemire’s post-apocalyptic comic Sweet Tooth, a pandemic kills off adults and causes new children to be born with animal features. In an era obsessed with stories about generational change, Netflix’s adaptation of the comic takes up the theme and ends up feeling like The Mandalorian mixed The Witcher, with elements from Mad Max: Fury Road.
With source material written before the pandemic and a production that began life pre-COVID as well, Netflix’s brilliant “Sweet Tooth” may not be a direct commentary on what the world has been through in the last year, but the presence of that real-world echo is undeniable. It’s a show about a devastating virus that leads people to distrust one another, go into hiding, allow their fear to drive their decisions, and ultimately form unexpected bonds. It’s about isolation and grief, but it is also very much about the unpredictable connections that can end up defining us. It’s intense, riveting storytelling that recalls the spirit of Amblin almost more than the nostalgia warehouse that is “Stranger Things,” the king of Netflix Originals. It would have been excellent television in any year, but Sweet Tooth strikes a different chord in 2021 than anyone could have expected.