Christian Convery plays Gus in the “Sweet Tooth” series. – Kirsty Griffin / Netflix
- Sweet Tooth is the first produced by Team Downey, the production company created by Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey, for Netflix.
- It follows the adventures of a boy, half-human, half-stag in a world struck by a strange pandemic.
- Why are you going to fall for this original fiction all in the dystopian and magical, poetic and apocalyptic?
An original, wonderful and poetic fiction like a photo of Annie Leibovitz ! Sweet tooth, available this Friday on Netflix, is the first collaboration between Team Downey, the production company created by Robert Downey Jr. and his wife Susan Downey, and the Los Gatos platform. Adapted from the comic book of Canadian Jeff Lemire, this eight-part series, created by Jim Mickle (We Are What We Are) and Beth Schwartz (Arrow) and written with Christina Ham and Jeff Lemire, follows the dreamlike road trip of a little boy not quite like the others in search of his mother in a post-apocalyptic and pastoral America. Why are you going to fall for this fairytale dystopia?
Sweet tooth begins ten years after what the characters call “The Great Collapse”, a series of events that occurred simultaneously and possibly related: on the one hand, a deadly virus has spread all over the planet and many adults have died due to “Disease”, on the other hand, the massive birth of “hybrid” babies, so nicknamed because of their unusual genetic makeup, half-human, half-animal.
A transition to post-pandemic optimism
Who wants to see a story of viruses in full deconfinement, you will tell me? Sweet Tooth, whose production was interrupted by Covid-19 for a few months, is indeed the victim of bad timing. What does it matter! Sweet Tooth can by no means be reduced to yet another apocalyptic adventure following a pandemic.
Better yet, the series appears to offer a transition to post-pandemic optimism. It is not in Sweet Tooth about corpses and dying patients, but about the story of Gus (the revelation Christian Convery, who will make you melt), half-boy, half-stag, who loves syrup (d ‘where his nickname “Sweet Tooth”, which can be translated as “Sweet mouth”)
The wonder of childhood
The new Netflix series evokes Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment storytelling in the 1980s, the tale is seen through the eyes of this naive kid and compels the viewer to rediscover the capacity for childhood wonder.
Raised by his father (Will Forte, impeccable) in total isolation deep in Yellowstone National Park. Gus grows up in the middle of the forest, rocked by adventures The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and armed with his slingshot. His father wants to hide him from the outside world because “hybrids” are outcasts.
As he just turned 10, Gus yearns to learn more about the world and himself. After discovering the photo of his mother (Amy Seimetz), Gus breaks his promise to his father not to leave his sanctuary and decides to embark on a long trip to Colorado (where the said photo was taken) for the find.
He will cross paths with Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie aka Xaro Xhoan Daxos in season 3 of Game Of Thrones), a lonely and gruff man. The latter reluctantly accepts his role as protector.
An epic adventure
If a strange twilight atmosphere floats throughout the episodes, the vast green landscapes (provided by the filming in New Zealand) lavish on this epic adventure a lot of charm and poetry.
Gus and his taciturn companion will face many threats during their journey, starting with the Last Men, a lawless group that blames hybrids for the virus.
Along the way, the viewer will meet other characters, stories united by the continuous narration of James Brolin (which gives Sweet Tooth a tale dimension) which will gradually converge with that of Gus: Adi Singh (Adeel Akhtar ), a doctor determined to save his sick wife (Aliza Vellani), the lonely Aimee (Dania Ramirez) or the fiery teenager Bear (the beautiful Stefania LaVie Owen).
Throughout the episodes, flashbacks allow us to discover each other’s past and forge links between the different stories.
Acceptance of difference and respect for the environment
The underlying message of Sweet tooth on accepting difference and respecting the environment is simple, effective, without being overly supported. As during the first confinement, nature resumed its rights in the absence of human activity in Sweet tooth. Cars have been replaced by horses, cell phones have been replaced by radio communications, the Internet no longer works, and Netflix parties have been replaced by Scrabble nights in the series universe.
The faults of the series are rare. The special effects are successful, the staging and editing impeccable, the aesthetic half-Wes Anderson half-Peter Jackson, magical, the interpretation, fantastic. The finale sets up all the elements to hope for a season 2. Sweet tooth manages to find the balance between emotion and laughter, optimism and apocalypse, poetry and animosity. An original combination of science fiction, fantasy and fairyland, this sweetness is worth being binge-watched with frenzy …