REVIEWED: SEASON 1 (ALL EPISODES) | WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX

In recent times, the popular site Webtoons.com has been a breeding ground for some fantastic anime adaptations such as The God of High School and Tower of God. Now, it’s the turn of Netflix to adapt one of these admired properties into not an anime, but live-action.

Sweet Home, which is based on the webtoon of the same name, follows the story of Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang) who, after tragically losing his parents, moves into a tower block which, from the very first moment, is filled with a host of interesting characters. Soon after moving in, the tower block goes into lockdown as outside, humans are turning into mutant monsters and the world is thrust into an apocalypse.

From the outset, what really stood out was the production value of the series. It is clear to see that creative director Kim Seol-jin and their team had the full backing of Netflix Asia with a fantastic central location where 99% of the 10-episode series takes place and it really felt like a character in itself. As the series progresses and more is learnt about why humans are turning into monsters, the story gets crazier and crazier – in a good way. The designs of the monsters are a bit hit and miss though – a mixture of practical effects and CGI with the later sometimes letting the show down when the camera lingers on them too long or if seen in bright light. However, the performances of the ensemble cast make up for a few hiccups in the effects department.

There are a lot of characters that are introduced (and killed off, naturally) throughout the series and, bar a few forgettable background fodder, the vast majority have at least some kind of an important role to play.

Sweet Home is a highly enjoyable, extremely gory and bat-shit insane take on the monster/apocalypse horror genre that has plenty of twists and turns and has a much bigger story to tell in an inevitable Season 2 which we are very much looking forward to.

Release Date: Out Now (NETFLIX)