HBO’s The Last of Us is a worthy adaptation of Naughty Dog’s 2013 action-adventure game, if critics are to be believed. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the show masterminded by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Neil Druckmann, who co-directed and wrote the original, is listed with a 97% Tomatometer score at the time of this posting, derived from 38 reviews, the majority of which are overwhelmingly positive. Some have claimed that The Last of Us is the best video game adaptation ever.
Here’s what some top critics are saying:
The nine episodes of this first season largely focus on faithfully adapting the first game. Happily, they do this extremely well, though it’s the moments that stretch beyond the game’s established narrative and expand its world that elevate it. (TV Guide)
The team has done an excellent job of sticking close to the source material while also breathing life into new characters along the way, creating an engaging and refreshing rendering of a popular genre story. (The Wrap)
Comfortably the best adaptation of a video-game ever made: one that deepens the game’s dystopian lore, while staying true to its emotional core. Like the game, it’s a masterpiece, too. (Empire Magazine)
It doesn’t feel even remotely controversial to call this the best video game adaptation ever made. (BBC)
The Last of Us will begin steaming on HBO Max on January 15. It stars Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) as Joel Miller and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) as Ellie, the latter of whom is already being modded into The Last of Us Part II by some fans. “What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival,” reads a teaser for the show.