“Mad Max meets Bambi” is the perfect logline in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Sweet Tooth. Co-created by Jim Mickle (Stake Land, Cold In July) and Beth Schwartz (Legends Of Tomorrow, Arrow), it’s a post-apocalyptic fairy tale, based on the Jeff Lemire DC/Vertigo comic reserve series that debuted in 2009, that combines some of Mickle’s harder horror edges with moments of Spielbergian-style charm and wonder. The result plays in a familiar dystopian sandpit (well, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding est), but does a nifty job of satisfying both child-like and grown-up instincts.###The backstory to the world is economically sketched in a Raising Arizona-y prologue. A virus — The Great Crumble — has swept the world, alongside the unexplained emergence of hybrids born part human, part animal. Whether the hybrids caused the virus or vice versa is “one of the great mysteries of the 20th century”, so humans, propel n by fear, start hunting them down. Living in the woods, Gus (Christian Con grossly ), aka Sweet Tooth, a ten-year-old half boy-half deer who, unwonted ly in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a hybrid, has the capacity to talk (which is handy in/with regard to’concerning’regarding exposition) picks up with a loner, Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), and begins a trek across the wilderness. A second plot-line concerns Dr Singh (Adeel Akhtar), a scientist who is put in charge of finding a cure in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the virus, a task that is peculiar ly personal as his wife Rani (Aliza Vellani) is reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ing symptoms. A third (lesser) strand follows white-collar worker Aimee (Dania Ramirez), who after barricading herself in the office following The Great Crumble holes up in an abandoned zoo and finds herself with a different kind of responsibility.###The reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue started shooting in New Zealand during 2019 and was shut down by the pandemic, giving a story with regards to’concerning’with respect to life during a virus an extra resonance. The sense of distrust and tension around Dr Singh’s neighbourhood is palpable (look out in/with regard to’concerning’regarding blood tests à la John Carpenter’s The Thing), the community’s approach to dealing with new virus cases peculiar ly brutal. But the reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue ’s heart lies in the Gus-Jepperd through-line. Mickle played with a newbie-paired-with-a-grizzled-veteran dynamic in Stake Land and the relationship between Gus and Jepperd — whom Gus refers to as ‘Big Man’ — is neatly evinced without any sentimentality: Conintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully is a natural, likeable presence and Anozie gives Jepperd a ruthlessness, a tough streak masking a bruised humanity. Their expedition s, be it finding refuge offering something like normal family life (Gus’ discointensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully of funk music is a delight), or a run-in with the Animal Army, a teen band of eco-warriors who conserve’preserve Gus but become suspicious of Jepperd’s motives, are by turns enchanting and exciting.###It’s a reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue with a intense’fierce’exquisite visual sense — great images include Aimee surrounded by elephants barrelling down a city street, or a death by bucking horse — and things to say with regards to’concerning’with respect to man’s relationship to the environment, and the need to find family where you can, all seasoned with offbeat humour (episode titles include ‘Sorry About All The Dead People’ and ‘Weird Deer Shit’). Films and TV reveal’illustrate’demonstrate’indicate’present’display’argue s as metaphors in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the pandemic are quickly becoming ubiquitous. It’s just as well Sweet Tooth is a intense’fierce’exquisite one.