“The Last of Us” is a TV show created by Craig Mazin and Neil Drunkman for HBO. It premiered in January 2023 on the network’s streaming service, HBO Max. It is a film adaptation of the critically acclaimed “The Last of Us” video game that was created by the game studio Naughty Dog in 2013. The main cast consists of Pedro Pascal as Joel, a man hardened from 20 years of living in a wasteland, and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, a teenager born during the apocalypse, as they struggle to survive in a world overrun by a fungus that transforms its host into zombie-like creatures. 

         “The Last of Us” is a new step for video game adaptations. Especially when other game-to-film adaptations like “The Witcher” and “Halo” have been widely criticized by audiences, “The Last of Us” has been praised by audiences instead, which was reassuring to me as someone who has not played the game before. Directors Mazin and Drunkman captivate viewers with the first scene of the first episode. Mimicking a late night talk show, we watch an interview with a mycologist (fungi researcher). The host laughs and jokes until the mycologist makes an off-the-cuff comment of fungus being able to evolve to control humans. As the host’s smile fades and the camera zooms in, the music lowers. It’s a quirky and risky way to build tension, but it succeeds. 

               The show also succeeds with its characters, all of which are carefully crafted. The main characters, Joel and Ellie, feel unique despite many zombie shows having come and gone since the original “Last of Us” game was released. Joel and Ellie do not have the edgy dark personality that many zombie show protagonists have. The show takes breaks from the hopelessness of their situation and provides some genuine light-hearted moments from this duo.

A scene that sticks with me is when Ellie gets her hands on a joke book of puns and begins to annoy Joel with it. Instead of getting angry at her, Joel plays along and one of the jokes even manages to make him laugh. This stuck with me because it showed a deep level of characterization that I have never seen in shows with themes like “The Last of Us.” This isn’t to say that the show doesn’t have its moments, as it contains some of the most well-crafted dark scenes out of any zombie show I have seen. My favorite part about these scenes is that sometimes they can come out of nowhere and completely shift the mood of the scene in one swift transition—which makes for an engaging audience experience, as you’re tensed up waiting for something bad to happen. 

              This review would not be complete without talking about the side characters. The side characters are just as nuanced as the protagonists, with their own dreams and motivations. Two side characters that stick out for me are the lovers, Bill and Frank, who had an entire episode dedicated to them. When they were first introduced, I found myself getting impatient and wanting to get back to the main story. What I did not expect is that I would want to watch more of the side story instead. In their episode, Mazin and Drunkman are able to tell the most compelling romance I’ve ever seen in a short 40 minutes. It was a beautiful, well thought-out story that left my eyes watering by the end of it. 

       “The Last of Us” offers a unique post-apocalyptic zombie story that will leave you crying, laughing and contemplating and leave you impatient for each new episode release due to its sheer quality.