Ever since the show was announced in June 2020, it came with mixed reviews between people who’ve played the game. In their perspective, there have been adaptations of games that didn’t stick the landing for fans like Resident Evil, Warcraft and Tomb Raider. HBO’s “The Last Of Us” takes place 20 years into a post-apocalyptic world after an infectious fungus known as cordyceps infects humans and turns them into fast, violent zombies who cause a worldwide pandemic with no cure.
The series follows Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, a contractor who lives with his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) and brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna). Twenty years after the outbreak, Joel sees himself living in a Boston quarantine zone with his smuggling partner Tess (Anna Torv). He’s soon assigned to smuggle a girl called Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of Boston to safety as a favor to the leader of a rebellious group, the fireflies, Marlene (Merle Dandridge).
Fans of the game won’t be disappointed at the show’s proper storytelling and callbacks to the game leaving viewers with a feeling of nostalgia. The writers make some changes within the story and premise, giving more background on characters and adding new ones along the way. The story never disconnects and never feels out of touch.
The first two episodes start out with an amazing background and explanation on how the virus works and how dangerous it really is. It gives a sense of horror, suspense and realism to the audience as it provides a rundown to those who haven’t played the game on how the infection works. A bold move done by the show was changing the way the virus spread by giving it a more reasonable and easy explanation.
CGI and sets stand out as they provide viewers a visual look at how a post-apocalyptic world would be like. It gives the audience a well done experience of the world and leaves interesting details and shots inspired by the game. The cinematography is stunning with its ability to portray a beautiful visual of a broken world.
The cast give a proper portrayal of the characters and stand out as they deliver their performance perfectly. Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Barlett) shine for the one episode they are highlighted in and give some of the best acting through the entire series so far that will leave people emotional after watching. Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) gives an OK performance, but is outshined by Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard) as her character is only of importance as part of their story that will also be a tear-jerker to watch.
Overall, “The Last Of Us” lives up to the hype after fans waited years for a proper adaptation of the game. Pascal and Ramsey truly give their best and create a great bond for their characters that is going to be adored by fans. The show deserves an outstanding 10/10 as it will definitely entertain audiences and give the message of purpose and acceptance after everything is lost and to always find the light.
