When this show was released by HBO in January this year, there was a lot of rave about it. Many positive reviews showed up on my internet feed daily at the time but I didn't read any simply because it's a post-apocalyptic drama. I don't like zombie movies and don't do well with this genre as they can be depressing sometimes. I went ahead and downloaded it anyway to watch at an undecided date.
So I've begun to watch this series which comprises nine episodes. I've seen three and wow, they were gripping, filled with suspense and depressing in some aspects, just like I predicted. I understand the TV series is an adaptation of the hit video game, Sony and Naughty Dog's "The Last of Us". I must say, HBO did an excellent job bringing it to life, being their first video game adaptation.
The first episode begins with a live TV interview in 1986 where a professor spells doom by predicting a viral pandemic that can wipe out the entire world. Fast forward to 2003, the scene opens with a teenage girl, Sarah (played by Nico Parker), waking her father, Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) to prepare for work. It's his birthday. They have breakfast together with Joel's brother, Tommy and leave the house.
Source: YouTube
After school, Sarah comes home and visits her neighbour for a while. Later she leaves and goes to their apartment. Joel comes home late without a cake as he'd promised. To celebrate his birthday, Sarah gives him a video tape she borrowed from their neighbour and they watch together.
Sarah falls asleep on her father's lap when he gets a call from Tommy to bail him out of jail. Joel leaves the house but returns on time with Tommy to save his daughter from being bitten by an infected neighbour. Their city has gone crazy and the infection is spreading fast. Can these three escape the commotion or the desecration that falls upon the city and the world ten years later? Will they find a cure for the global pandemic?
Review
After what the world went through with the COVID pandemic, I think this TV series resonated with many people, hence the positive reception. The plot is intriguing and brilliant while the storytelling is raw, gripping and bold. Every scene is filled with tension that gradually builds into an unexpected action, especially for non-gamers like myself. For avid gamers, they are familiar with the visuals and some scenes. The cinematography and visuals pull the audience right into the scenes. We feel like it's almost real and are a part of this harsh and heartbreaking world.
The acting is impressive. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey have great chemistry and perfectly embody the spirit of their characters. I especially enjoy Bella's humour and courage. I applaud the brief appearances of Nico Parker in episode one and Anna Torv in episodes one and two. They both made me emotional at their exit from the series. I can only hope something this terrible never happens.
The people infected with the mutated Cordyceps virus were pretty scary. Not horror scary but the way the scenes were shot, my heart always skipped a beat anytime their gruesome faces were plastered on my screen! That's great costume/makeup and visual effect works.
At first, I hoped there would be some action sequences that included gun fights but it didn't turn out so. Guns and explosives were used but not for purposeful killing rather for protection. So unlike what some avid film lovers may expect, the series is not focused on action but rather on storytelling and character development. Each scene is crafted to understand the characters, their circumstance and probably relate with them. It's more about survival and hope in a forlorn situation than killing or shooting down enemies.
I'm hoping before the end of this series, they'll come up with a vaccine that cures those left standing. That would be a fitting end to this touching and realistic TV show.
Overall, it's a great show and one I'd recommend to every film lover. The genre may not be your thing but seeing this is a way of staying informed and learning one or two things about the apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic world.
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All images are screenshots from the series
Posted using CineTV