Yes, HBO's The Last of Us is as good as everyone says.
And no prior knowledge of the video game required.
The Short Take:
The 80-minute premiere of The Last of Us is a riveting start to a post-apocalyptic science fiction survival series. It also happens to be a savvy adaptation of a video game.
Image Credit: IndieWire
[Roughly the first half of this will be SPOILER-FREE so readers can decide if this series is for them. I will clearly announce when we are about to leave the safe zone.]
The Long Take:
HBO’s The Last of Us is a great video game adaptation — everyone says so. A quick search for reviews reveals consistently high praise and superlatives. IndieWire called it “the first great video-game adaptation.” USA Today called it “the best video adaptation ever.” Some reviews wondered if The Last of Us could even break the video adaptation “curse.” And Deadline and Variety report that the series is HBO’s second-largest debut since 2010. (The highly-anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, still holds first place.) So it stands to reason that viewers at home agree. I know I do.
The concern about video game adaptations being “cursed,” while overly-superstitious, reflects a legitimate concern. One would think that taking a super popular game and turning it into a movie would be an easy peasy way to make big franchise bucks, but I struggle to think of adaptations that fit that description. The Sonic the Hedgehog films have been well-received, and I actually liked Detective Pikachu (2019) despite it seeming like a ridiculous proposition. And while it probably doesn’t hold up, I have a soft spot for the original Mortal Kombat (1995). But it’s hard to ignore the slew of flops that outnumber these films. It’s gotten to the point where I will ignore the upcoming release of a video game movie unless there’s suddenly some critical buzz.
This plight, however, may only apply to films; when I consider series based on video games, I can immediately think of several great ones: I’ve seen and enjoyed Netflix’s Arcane andThe Witcher, and I know that critics also love Castlevania and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. So maybe it’s more that episodic storytelling aligns with the iterative and continuous nature of video games?
The way in which this first episode introduces the premise and core characters of The Last of Us affirms this theory. In many ways, the premiere feels like the opening to any great television series, video game source text or no. And, like a lot of the other successful adaptations I’ve mentioned (primarily Arcane), it does not require any prior knowledge or appreciation for the video game to hop on board.
Full disclosure: I have played some of the video game; probably about 2-3 hours-worth. It was many years ago, at the behest of my dear friend, Jordan, whose recommendations for video games with compelling stories are always on point. Most video games benefit from a good story driving the gameplay, but there are certain games whose stories are so strong that they consume the player, and may even hold them emotionally hostage. The gold standard for this kind of immersive, story-forward gaming experience is Heavy Rain (made by Quantic Dream, which, I should acknowledge, has since been exposed as guilty of toxic behavior and harassment). I remember playing that game alone in the dark and being completely enthralled (also very stressed out).
Image Credit: Vanity Fair
My experience with The Last of Us game was very similar. I ultimately stopped playing because the game mechanics became too difficult for me, and I got stuck. I wanted to continue to see how the story would pan out, but frustration and the hustle and bustle of life won out. Part of me wants to go back and try again to compare the original story with its adaptation. Part of me sighs in relief that I can now finish out the story without learning how to press buttons in a more coordinated fashion. (Does anyone want to sign me up for a button masher rehabilitation program?)
Even though I myself did not go into this show completely blind, I think it was pretty obvious as I watched HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us that my prior knowledge was of little consequence. All the set-up a brand new viewer needs has been baked into the opening episode. Within minutes you’ll have a clear grasp on what’s going to go wrong with this world — what type of disaster will strike — and will learn all you need to know to understand what makes the main characters tick.
All I will say for now is that the two leads, Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones) and Bella Ramsey (also from Game of Thrones, and a scene-stealer at that!), are an unlikely pair who must work together to survive a post-apocalyptic world. Partly due to these two actors’ strong performances and partly due to very efficient writing that wastes no moment, taking every opportunity to teach us something about these two characters, I became invested in their fates and their relationship at lighting speed.
More broadly, I think anyone who enjoys post-apocalyptic science fiction, non-campy zombies, or maybe even non-sci fi thrillers will likely become engrossed with this series. I often reserve a full endorsement until a few episodes in, just to be sure. Here, I don’t need to wait. I’m all in already.
[SPOILER WARNING: I can’t continue on without discussing more details of what happens during the premiere. If you have not seen it yet, consider my endorsement and return once you’ve seen it.]
What I couldn’t mention before the spoiler warning is that at the center of The Last of Us, transcending all the sci fi universe rules and all the gripping action is a powerful, universal story about a father losing his daughter. I’m glad that the series creators decided to give us the flashback almost right away, after a world-building prologue. I much prefer this to withholding Joel’s backstory and making it a big shocking reveal partway or at the end of the season because it makes this relationship from the past haunt and inform the fledgling relationship in the present. Because of what the series very wisely shows me at the start, I immediately understand, without anyone telling me, why Joel is so ornery with Ellie when they first meet. I understand that every time he looks at a girl the same age as his daughter, she reminds him of the daughter he lost, and in response puts up frosty barriers.
The most powerful scene of this entire episode is when, in spite of these barriers, Joel fiercely defends Ellie. The scene is exquisitely edited because it very quickly, in a flash as opposed to a long drawn out, overwrought, Zack Snyder-esque sequence (Martha…!), goes back to the moment a FEDRA soldier shot at Joel and Sarah. Again, we immediately understand why Joel would rage-fully, instinctually lunge at the soldier pointing a gun at Ellie. Even though that soldier, as we saw in the earlier scene, is arguably his friend, or at least a friendly acquaintance.
Image Credit: New York Times
Okay, is it time to gush over Pedro Pascal now? I may be biased because I was a big fan of his already, but he immediately drew me into Joel’s interiority; that’s an achievement considering, as I’ve mentioned, how much the episode shows rather than tells us about him. The raw emotion he displays when Sarah dies in his arms nearly broke me. And he perfectly captures the ruggedness and ruthlessness that are essential for the character’s depth. Obviously, The Mandalorian was good practice for this series, as both Din and Joel are steely, reluctant, yet fierce papa bears. Ellie is really just a surlier, more vicious version of Grogu.
Star Wars fans should also note that Nico Parker, the actress who plays Sarah, is actually the daughter of Thandiwe Newton, who plays Val in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Parker was also impressive in how she made me believe that her loss would be unspeakable for Joel. And, while I’m giving shoutouts to the cast, I’ll mention that Anna Torv worked well as the grizzled Tess. I’ve been a fan of hers since Fringe, and thought she single-handedly elevated Mindhunter.
Image Credit: Vulture
Any science fiction series, especially one with an apocalypse, inevitably involves exposition, and here I appreciated an intelligent use of it. It’s not exposition for the sake of exposition. It has been naturalized in the story, most notably in the form of a news interview. The talk show format is perfect because it shows how ominous the scientist’s theory is, throwing off the jovial host who is probably accustomed to fluffier conversation. And the explanation of what could (and later will) happen is so very clear that I would be surprised if anyone watching — even if they’ve never heard of the video game — would not understand the fictionalized science behind the horror they are about to witness. There’s also the added subtext of our own real-life pandemic and the anxiety that induces, which makes this fictional outbreak all the more harrowing.
As I just argued, there’s little to no barrier to entry with this series, which is a boon. And yet, as someone who has played through the beginning of the game, I recognize that there is SO much of this that is uncannily similar. There’s one action sequence in particular — the flashback in which Joel and his brother Tommy pick up Sarah and try to drive their truck to safety — that brought me right back to my memory of playing the game.
The production design here is crazy accurate. I recognized furniture and generally got spooked by how familiar the settings seemed. The movement of the camera evoked the feeling of being a player in the mix alongside the characters, but in a way that was still cinematic. Even the sound, such as small clips of dialogue, gave me a feeling of deja vu. I recognized the echo of something being said off to the side or shouted across the din of explosions and chaos. It feels to me like people who have actually played this game (and are fans) are at the helm.
Image Credit: Games Radar
In short, everybody wins! Well, except the characters in the show who are in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.