Though there are plenty of strong animated shows that have been made for adults over the decades, only a select few great ones have managed to become truly engrossing. Much of this comes down to how the large majority are comedies, which can be good fun but isn’t all there is to be experienced. This makes it all the more special when a show comes along that takes itself, the form, and its potential seriously, boldly pushing out into uncharted territory without hesitation. Scavengers Reign, the outstanding new animated series for Max created by Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner, is one such work. Expansive in the vibrant world it creates yet precisely attuned to the small character details as well, it’s a show that continually surprises and naturally expands on itself at every turn. Over the course of its twelve episodes, it pulls us deeper and deeper into astounding animation that gives a greater texture to its survival story.

What Is ‘Scavengers Reign’ About?
Image via Max

Expanding on their original 2016 short Scavengers, Bennett and Huettner immediately throw us into a distant planet where a group of people have found themselves stranded. The cause of their predicament is initially mysterious, but it may have something to do with the fact that their ship is called the Demeter, which seems to be a cursed title for any type of craft. They are all scattered but are trying to make their way back to said ship in the hope of escaping. The determined Azi (Wunmi Mosaku) and the robotic Levi (Alia Shawkat) have managed to build some sort of small settlement with basic supplies. However, this too remains under constant threat from the surrounding planet. Ursula (Sunita Mani) and Sam (Bob Stephenson) are a little worse off due to their lack of resources but have also managed to find some stability where they can as they traverse the planet. The most troubled of the characters is Kamen (Ted Travelstead), who is initially alone before making connections with a creature that offers him looks into his past. As he consumes these memories, he starts to take and take from the world around him.

The initial driving narrative to all this, getting from point A to point B in order to escape the planet or be rescued, is less important than the way in which it is told. Every landscape, creature, and hallucination is beautiful to behold. The animated visions are as persistently breathtaking as they are increasingly brutal. It offers a glimpse into a world beyond understanding where towering creatures roam and death can come from just about anywhere. Each environment is one you can get completely lost in before moving on to the next one that will bring its own host of remarkable creations. There is a sense of wonder to the world, with every element of it proving to be completely unpredictable yet consistently arresting.

It is the type of animation that strikes awe not because it is always the most complex, but because it thrives in simplicity. There is a passion to the way Scavengers Reign presents each new discovery, making it feel as if we too have just stumbled upon something that nobody has ever seen before. It can be thrilling, but it also remains terrifying as the characters become increasingly changed by their explorations. Rather than feel like they are adventurers who are just on the cusp of a breakthrough of understanding or salvation, we are perpetually reminded of how small they truly are. They are the ones who can become swept away by this new planet.

RELATED: New ‘Scavengers Reign’ Trailer Shows Alia Shawkat’s Fight for Survival

‘Scavengers Reign’ Is a Visceral Sci-Fi Vision
Image via Max

At a certain point, there is a moment where Scavengers Reign’s story itself fades away and seems less important. Instead, it is all about the sense of feeling being created and the way it grabs hold of you. There is bloody violence, yes, but it is also so much more than that. It’s almost like a deconstruction of a classic adventure story where the drive to survive is less crucial than the sweeping scenes that surround it. The main characters are still moving forward and will occasionally reference their goals. However, the scenes where they pause for a moment in an open prairie or descend into an immensely deep pit that can swallow them whole strike home. The most emotionally potent scene plays out under a massive tree with just two people realizing there are some things out there that can’t be overcome so easily.

While we like to believe that we are the center of the universe and can become the dominant force just about anywhere, Scavengers Reign gently yet decisively shows how delusional this is. It does so by creating gorgeous and often haunting visuals that are then juxtaposed with the almost infinitesimally small figures cutting through them. There is so much that is beyond our basic understanding and the characters in this story are often left making guesses about the best course of action. It ends up feeling in conversation with a film like The Red Turtle while also pushing further and further into a vast world all its own.

Most central to this is a flower that just keeps growing from the most inhospitable of places. From the nearly all-consuming forces of death, there still comes life; it just may not always be in the way we expect it to be. A seemingly complete destruction of one being can result in them being reborn into something new. Conversely, the survival of one person can spell death for countless others. Amidst all the occasionally familiar trials and tribulations of its human characters, there is an entirely separate story playing out around them that they only get small snapshots of. When its immense beauty comes rushing in at key moments, Scavengers Reign creates something as utterly spectacular as it is sublime. Through every delicately crafted detail, it proves to be one of the most exciting animated series in recent memory.

Rating: A-

The Big Picture

Scavengers Reign is an outstanding new animated series for Max that takes us to an unknown planet far from our own where each creature and discovery is beautiful to behold. The show creates a vibrant and unpredictable world filled with breathtaking animation. All of this makes Scavengers Reign one of the most exciting animated series in recent memory.

Scavengers Reign premieres October 19 on Max with three episodes. Three episodes will then be released weekly through November 9.