Tonight marks the release of the first episode of the HBO Max original series, an adaptation of the acclaimed video game The Last of Us. Those who regularly follow my blog will recall my reaction to the show's announcement via their first trailer, which dropped back in September. My initial reactions mostly centered on my concern for the history of video game adaptations and the intriguing casting choice for one of the stories' protagonists. Since then, I have made many efforts to avoid any other mentions or discussions of the series, preferring to begin my experience with as much of a clean slate as possible. So far, my patience has been well worth it.
This adaptation begins with an auspicious and edge-of-your-seat thrilling introduction. Within the first fifteen minutes, the show promises an accurate adaptation of the source material with the same level of commitment and verisimilitude as its game counterpart. While fans of the game will notice sections of different and seemingly (at first) unnecessary story moments and scenes, they all serve the greater purpose of introducing the critical story and character elements. Thanks in no small part to the original games creator and writer, Neil Drukman, acting as producer and co-writer for the series.
On its own merits as a show, the overall presentation is fascinating. Successfully capturing the same tone and style of the original game while still feeling more or less like its own entity. For once, a video game adaptation does more than copy/paste the game's visual style without effort.
The cinematography by Nadim Carlsen is on par with the game's original presentation while still retaining its own personality. The lighting and color styles fit the broken world depicted in both iterations.
Unsurprisingly, and much to my delight, Pedro Pascal is the right choice for this role. He has been granted the opportunity to stretch his range and shows he can possess the kind of screen presence this role demands. I am excited and terrified (in the best way possible) to see where it will go from here.
Suppose you've been interested in this fantastic game series's story but are interested in something other than playing video games. In that case, this is the best non-game presentation of this story. At least it's off to a fantastic start. As the episodes are released, a complete and comprehensive review of this series will be forthcoming. Until then, this is a perfect time to consider an HBO Max subscription or try out whatever free trial they have.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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