‘The Last of Us’ Offers Dystopian Thrills

Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.

Launching with its first episode on Sunday, January 15th on HBO Max, ‘The Last of Us’ represents the latest successful translation of a video game title to another medium.

Of course, the source material––game creator Neil Druckmann is deeply involved in the show as an executive producer––offers a solid base, with its rich, cinematic aspect and compelling characters. But then, that’s also a risk; as a bestselling title with a massive fan base, there are very high standards to be met.

Fortunately, the show should impress almost anyone who has ever picked up a controller to help Joel and Ellie on their mission.

But what if you’ve never so much as passed by a TV where someone is playing the game? Not to worry––the series smartly clues you with all the necessary information in as organic a way as possible.

(L to R) Nico Parker and Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.

In the first episode, that information is delivered by a scientist (John Hannah) on a 1968 TV talk show, outlining the way in which a determined fungal infection could burn through humanity as it does insects, effectively turning its victims into zombies whose scrambled brains can think of nothing but spreading the ultimately deadly condition.

Though he’s mocked as a doomsayer, he’s proven right years later in 2003, when Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) and brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) have to escape their small Texas town when that very infection starts to do its thing the world. A pacey, superbly directed (by show co-creator Craig Mazin, who previously brought ‘Chernobyl’ to the world) sequence sees the trio desperately driving through military blockades and chaos as survivors and the infected dash around and planes plummet from the sky.

It's brutal and effective and ends with tragedy before the clock is spun forward 20 years. We catch up with Joel as he lives and struggles to find work in post-apocalyptic Boston. Part of the city has become a well-guarded quarantine zone, the infected outside kept at bay by a brutal policy of testing and incineration.

Its run by the military dictatorship known as Fedra, which has imposed all sorts of rules on those living within its borders, including a curfew (“to fight infection and insurrection”). The insurrection that Fedra’s authority is worried about comes from the Fireflies, a group fighting to end the organization’s tough tactics. Fedra, for its part, views them as terrorists and is aiming to wipe them out.

(L to R) Bella Ramsey, and Pedro Pascal in 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.

It's in this chaotic world that we meet Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who will become the other key player in the story. Her background is less well defined in the first episode (others dig into her deal), but we do learn she has a very special quality that means the Fireflies will do anything to spirit her out of the quarantine zone and across the country.

When their efforts are stymied by a deal gone bad, their leader Marlene (played by Merle Dandridge, who had the same role in the game) turns to Joel and his partner Tess (Anna Torv), who begrudgingly agree to get Ellie to where she needs to be in exchange for valuable transport and weaponry.

Pascal, who has become famous for another gruff warrior who is charged with looking after a young person in ‘The Mandalorian’ here gets to show some different sides, even with the basic storyline similarities. Joel is a hardened man, described variously as capable (“capable of what?” snorts Ellie) and dangerous. He puts the fear of violence into various small time criminals but doesn’t seek out power himself. Mostly, he’s just trying to track down Tommy.

He and Ellie are like oil and water at first meeting, her snark and spirit meeting (and annoying) his world-weary charm. They, just as in the game, have the makings of a memorable, squabbling partnership.

(L to R) Pedro Pascal and Anna Torv in 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.

Like her co-star, Ramsey has made her name with characters who have qualities in common with Ellie, particularly the scowling, youthful leader Lyanna Mormont in ‘Game of Thrones’ (she never crossed paths with Pascal there, since both were in very different segments of that sprawling fantasy series).

Here, Ramsey gives Ellie vitality and spark, and while her grumbling attitude could get dull in a hurry, the actor makes it work.

It’s thanks also to the script from show creators Mazin and Druckmann, who both offer faithfulness to the game’s story while also finding ways to make small but crucial changes. The characters are vigorous and memorable, and the world, while it draws from the tropes of the post-apocalyptic nightmare, manages to show fresh angles.

And it helps that this is on an HBO budget, certain set pieces and set dressing showing an impressive level of detail. Imagine something along the lines of ‘The Walking Dead’ but with even more movie-level financial backing.

Gabriel Luna in 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.

A little like that that long-lived zombie series (which outstayed its welcome), ‘The Last of Us’ focuses more on the humans at its core than the infected creatures around them. It doesn’t skimp on the body horror, especially in the 2003 section, where an old couple’s early infection leads to some truly gross moments.

But this series is even more invested in the people trying to survive, sketching their characteristics out in inventive and impressive ways. There is also plenty left to discover in future episodes, and the sense that the narrative will only get deeper and darker as it goes along.

It might seem premature to suggest this, but it seems likely that ‘The Last of Us’ despite debuting in the first month of the year, appears likely to sear itself into viewers’ minds (much like the dreaded Cordyceps fungus) and make it on to top 10 lists by the time November and December roll around.

‘The Last of Us’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.

HBO Max's 'The Last of Us.' Photo: Warner Media.