“The Last of Us” is based on the game series of the same name. There are many examples of the transition from game to film or series not working so well, but “The Last of Us” works as it shines.
The series starts before the end of the world, with the single father Joel (Pedro Pascal) whose life is turned upside down from one day to the next. A fungus infects people and turns them into zombie-like creatures, and the parasitic fungus spreads at an enormous speed.
We jump forward in time and meet a disillusioned and dark Joel, who lives in a post-apocalyptic fascist-ruled zone in Boston. By coincidence, he meets fourteen-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and they embark on a journey through the United States. Ellie turns out to be very valuable for various reasons.
THE LAST OF US: Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal). Photo: HBO Max
The humans are worse than the monsters
“The Last of Us” is riveting from the very beginning. By being with Joel from the start, before the disaster strikes, it becomes easier to live in the universe. And when there is such a plausible explanation behind the downfall, with mushrooms spreading, both the story and the monsters feel credible. As in most dystopian series, it is not the monsters themselves that pose the biggest threat, but rather the people. On Joel and Ellie’s journey, they encounter more or less monstrous people. It is exciting to see how different small communities and different families have resolved the end of the world, of course often with wildly negative signs, but there are also places and people who have preserved their humanity.
THE LAST OF US: Good chemistry between Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal). Photo: HBO Max
Lovely interplay
What elevates the series to the top level is Ellie and Joel. They are good in their own right: Bella Ramsey makes a believable Ellie, cool, smart, tough, funny and hurtful, while Pedro Pascal has a mix of toughness and softness that few can match. But together they are simply wonderful. It is such a joy to follow the development of their friendship.
As has probably already come out in this review, it is not the monsters and the horror that are in focus, but rather the people and the drama. “The Last of Us” is first and foremost a great drama, with interpersonal relationships that touch the heart. Not only between Joel and Ellie, but also with the people they meet along the way. The series is good at letting us get involved in the various people at once, and even though they are with us, and Joel and Ellie, only for a short period, we have managed to become so invested that it is heartbreaking when things far from going as they should.
An interesting role gallery
The series actually has enough self-confidence to already have a side story in episode 3 that goes completely outside the main story. An entire episode is devoted to a really lovely story about the survivalist Bill (Nick Offerman) who meets the artist Frank (Murray Bartlett). We get several backstories for the various characters, and occasionally patchwork of time jumps that are woven together in a seamless and understandable way. Like when Ellie and Joel meet brothers Sam (Keivonn Woodard) and Henry (Lamar Johnson) on their journey, where they choose to trust each other. Or we’ll join you back for an unforgettable shopping mall evening with Ellie, where a-ha is central to the soundtrack.
THE LAST OF US: A mutated fungus has taken over the world and most of the people. Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO Max
Heartbreaking, exciting and full of warmth
It is also interesting that Joel has lived a life before the doom, while Ellie was born into hell and knows the world that was once only through books and stories. It becomes a problem that leads to several enjoyable and riveting dialogues and sequences.
The production design is second to none, with fungus-infested, abandoned cities, with shopping malls where time has almost stood still even though decay has set in, and barren villages.
The series is sometimes heartbreaking, often exciting and action-packed, and so full of warmth and humanity that the heart almost bursts, yet never too much, always inside.
