The Last of Us

When it comes to video games being adapted into live-action movies or television shows, the results have been largely abysmal. Despite valiant efforts to keep the genre moving forward, it has been one miss after another, with the only memorable titles are those that are so awful, they live in infamy within cinematic lore. Remember ALONE IN THE DARK? If you don’t, you’re one of the lucky few.

Seven episodes in, it’s safe to say that the HBO series THE LAST OF US has finally broken the curse. Based on the popular Playstation series, the show follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they make their way across the country. What makes this trek a little more perilous than most road adventures is that an infection has decimated the population of the United States. The infected now live as parasitic hordes.  The manifestation of their infection takes on many different forms, but no matter how their physical appearance was altered, two things remain constant; They are ugly, and they are ravenous.  

I suppose it is important to note that I never played the game, so I am writing this as someone who is taking in the material for the very first time. What truly makes the series stand apart from other adaptations, is that it has found a way to separate itself from its origins. From the research I’ve done, it appears that painstaking efforts have been made to stuff each episode with Easter eggs that will delight fans, but at the same time, it is not beholden to this audience. Created by Craig Mazin, who already delivered a modern classic for HBO with the devastating limited series CHERNOBYL, THE LAST OF US is such an engaging and beautiful production that at times, I honestly forget that zombie-like creatures could spring out at any moment. The series focuses more on characters and humanity than it does the infected, so it is not merely a shoot-‘em-up cavalcade of violence. In fact, had I not known that this was based on a video game, I’m not sure that I ever would have guessed.

THE LAST OF US makes the most out of each episode, introducing endearing characters (Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Melanie Lynskey, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodward) with complex backgrounds who may or may not make it through the end of their respective episodes. The one thing that can be guaranteed at the start of each installment is that you don’t know who will survive to appear the following week. As the great Joe Bob Briggs taught me back in the 90’s, this is the key to any great horror movie, and turns out, works pretty darn well on television, too. As a result, each episode feels like an individual story within a larger narrative, progressing the story of Joel and Ellie while also highlighting the humanity, love, and struggles of the apocalypse. There is no greater example of this than episode three, entitled “The Ballad of Bill and Frank.”  There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that there are numerous Emmy nominations in its future. It works as both a stand-alone story and part of the larger plan and features magnificent and haunting performances by Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman.  

By limiting the “monster” moments, the LAST OF US not only ratchets up the intensity, but it also, I believe, keeps itself far more accessible to a wider audience. If each moment was saturated with blood-thirsty creatures and blasting machine guns, far less viewers would tune in week after week. As it stands now, the show is one of the most popular programs on television, even outpacing HOUSE OF THE DRAGON in the Nielson ratings.  The dynamic and relationship between Joel and Ellie is also what keeps audiences coming back for more, and this is obviously attributed to the performances of Pascal and Ramsay. The two, veterans of two immensely popular shows in their own right (THE MANDALORIAN and GAME OF THRONES, respectively) feel like a natural fit, and their evolving relationship is palpably believable. There is a level of natural comfort that exists between the pair, one that will surely shine as they grow closer with each chapter.

THE LAST OF US has already received the green-light for season two, and admittedly, I’m bummed the current season has almost reached its conclusion. It has already become a comfort and leaves audiences counting down the days until the release of the next installment. Not bad for a title in a genre that probably should have been put out of its misery years ago.  

THE LAST OF US- A

Now airing on HBO and streaming on HBO Max. 

Brian Miller