If you have decided to read this article there is a 75% chance you are a video game nerd. This is of course completely fine and has, in absolute fairness, been an affliction many of us have succumbed to over the COVID era. That being said, it’s become increasingly clear that the popularity of video games is something that can and will be massively capitalized on and spun into content for the big screen. What was once the rare Tomb Raider or Resident Evil movie is now a majorly profitable genre of filmmaking, with hugely varying results (one can observe Jeff Fowler’s Sonic the Hedgehog regarding the lower end of this spectrum). Of course, as with any successful film or series, live-action can revive seemingly flat characters and create compelling and thoughtful story arcs with the familiar faces that fans have come to love. This is absolutely the case for HBO’s new series The Last of Us.
The Last of Us video game, released in 2013, is a fast-paced and emotionally devastating experience from start to finish. Imagining a world in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, we follow Joel in his journey through government quarantine centres, overgrown cities and beautifully animated forests. Fans of the game will be quick to notice these immersive settings represented by the HBO show. Although in the first couple of episodes we have only seen parts of Boston, it is already immensely clear that the attention attributed to the natural environment is of the utmost importance to the showrunners. This is of course a massive relief considering just how revolutionary their animated counterparts were at the time of the game’s release. If you are a fan of eco-brutalism, the Boston skyline in episode 2 is really something to behold.
The main difference fans of the game may have noticed is the nature of the zombie outbreak as a result of a mutated fungus. The show actually uses a more accurate depiction of fungi networks than the video game’s spores. When characters of the show step on fungi tendrils, it sends signals to the rest of the network underground. This means they’re always at high risk of being swarmed by massive herds of zombies. This is a creative choice by the writing team that really expands the rules of the world. Zombie apocalypse stories have been written and rewritten throughout the last few decades, so it’s really exciting to see new life breathed into an overused horror genre.
The zombies themselves are absolutely stunning, and show watchers were treated to the fan-favourite ‘clickers’ in the most recent episode 2. The tension felt in the ‘clicker’ sections of the game was brilliantly reflected on screen. Staying crouched and absolutely silent lest these blind and vicious scavengers tear you apart is a trauma from the gameplay I wasn’t sure I was ready to revisit – turns out I was nostalgic for it. Everything, from the heavy makeup to that spin-chilling clicking noise, was absolutely peerless.
Of course, the acting in the show is all anyone online has been talking about. This is particularly true regarding Nico Parker, who steals the pilot with her heart-breaking performance as Sarah. Although she was only ever meant to be a temporary character, the role was really built out compared to her video game counterpart and provided viewers with a way larger look at her and Joel’s home life before the outbreak. Bella Ramsay and Pedro Pascal are also brilliant as Ellie and Joel, and hopefully, the show will build their dynamic with all the skill and care of its predecessor. While it doesn’t quite seem like the actors have much of a dynamic together yet, this can be expected of their characters, and will make it all the more rewarding when they reach those touching emotional climaxes that fans are looking forward to. This duo have become iconic in the gaming world, and it will be nice to see them receive similar adoration on the small screen.
Image Credit: “Pedro Pascal” by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
