The Last of Us
The Last of Us
Now Showing

The Last of Us

"Every path has a price."

8.4
Yr 2023
Status Returning Series
Drama
Your Verdict

Rate this show to unlock picks like it. Create a free account.

Back
Series Brief

Overview

Twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 92 /100

HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us debuted to stellar critical acclaim, widely praised as a gold standard for live-action video game adaptations. Critics celebrated the series for being both a faithful translation of its acclaimed source material and a thoughtful, additive expansion, blending gut-wrenching drama with genuine horror.

Reviewers consistently praised the intelligent writing and rich characterization, particularly focusing on the dynamic between Joel and Ellie as well as the strong supporting cast. Backed by impressive production values and immersive post-apocalyptic settings, the show elevates itself beyond standard zombie tropes into a character-forward exploration of survival, earning favorable comparisons to prestige dramas like Station Eleven and The Leftovers.

Minor critiques were rare, with an occasional reviewer noting that parts of the story could feel light on deeper insight or suffer from slight pacing variance. Nevertheless, consensus overwhelmingly framed the season as a gorgeous, poignant, and stunning achievement in modern television.

“a phenomenal blend of horror and heart, with a cast that could not be more perfect”

“a stunning adaptation that should thrill newcomers and enrich those already familiar with Joel and Ellie's journey alike”

“a near-perfect retelling of the original game that remains faithful while still being it's own unique horror series”

“gorgeous, poignant, and astonishingly well made but light on insight”

Transmission Paths

Where to Watch

HBO Max
UK • US
HBO Max Amazon Channel
US • UK
Crave
CA
Show 4 more
Crave Amazon Channel
CA
Spectrum On Demand
US
Sky Go
UK
Now TV
UK
Why fans love it

Twenty years into an epidemic that dismantled modern life, the show focuses on the friction between solitude and connection. Unlike many projects rooted in a video game property, the series leans heavily into the physical and moral exhaustion of navigating a landscape where the infrastructure for basic existence has collapsed. It prioritizes the quiet, tense reality of a post-apocalyptic future over the noise of typical action sequences.

The strength of the storytelling relies on the shifting dynamic between a cynical survivor and his charge. Pedro Pascal anchors the drama, portraying the weight of a man whose primary goal is preservation rather than hope. By stripping away large-scale world-building in favor of the immediate demands of infection and smuggling, the show turns a brutal journey across the United States into a study of how people form attachments when trust is a fatal liability. The result is a bleak, deliberate drama that views survival as a burden shared by two unlikely companions.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 3
Longest run 16 eps
Bella Ramsey
Bella Ramsey
as Ellie Williams
16 episodes
Gabriel Luna
Gabriel Luna
as Tommy Miller
9 episodes
Isabela Merced
Isabela Merced
as Dina
7 episodes
Young Mazino
Young Mazino
as Jesse
7 episodes
Pedro Pascal
Pedro Pascal
as Joel Miller
13 episodes
John Hannah
John Hannah
as Dr. Newman - Scientist #2
1 episode
Josh Brener
Josh Brener
as Murray
1 episode
Christopher Heyerdahl
Christopher Heyerdahl
as Dr. Schoenheist - Scientist #1
1 episode
Show 67 more
Brad Leland as Mr. Adler 1 episode Marcia Bennett as Mrs. Adler 1 episode Brendan Fletcher as Robert 1 episode Jerry Wasserman as Abe 1 episode Wendy Gorling as Nana 1 episode Jessica Belbin as Mrs. Lauterstein 1 episode Haysam Kadri as Nasir 1 episode Sarah Himadeh as Tahira 1 episode Caitlin Howden as Denise 1 episode Max Montesi as Lee 1 episode Natasha Mumba as Kim 1 episode Gina Louise Phillips as Medic 1 episode Taylor St. Pierre as Buzzcut 1 episode Ryan D. Clarke as Soldier 1 episode Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah as Kind FEDRA Soldier 1 episode Logan Pierce as The Boy 1 episode Corina Akeson as Sooty Faced Woman 1 episode Jason Burkart as FEDRA Foreman 1 episode Andrea Greening as FEDRA Officer 1 episode Arran Henn as Newscaster 1 episode Anna Torv as Tess 3 episodes Nick Offerman as Bill 1 episode Murray Bartlett as Frank 1 episode Christine Hakim as Dr. Ratna Pertiwi 1 episode Yayu Unru as Lt. Gen. Agus Hidayat 1 episode Sharon Crandall as Lab Worker 1 episode Philip Prajoux as Infected Kissing Man 1 episode Kevin Sateri as Infected in Cellar 1 episode Marcus Aurelio as Infected at Fence 1 episode Rumbie Muzofa as Mother 1 episode Jeffrey Pierce as Perry 2 episodes Keivonn Woodard as Sam Burrell 2 episodes John Getz as Dr. Edelstein 2 episodes Olivier Ross-Parent as Museum Clicker 2 episodes Juan Magana as Skinny Guy / Bryan 1 episode Eric Breker as Bryan's Father 1 episode Craig Haas as Informer 1 episode Adam Basil as The Bloater 1 episode Ron J. Anderson as Sniper 1 episode Skye Belle Cowton as Child Clicker 1 episode Storm Reid as Riley Abel 1 episode Graham Greene as Marlon 1 episode Elaine Miles as Florence 1 episode Merle Dandridge as Marlene 2 episodes Nico Parker as Sarah Miller 2 episodes Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen Coghlan 2 episodes Lamar Johnson as Henry Burrell 3 episodes Rutina Wesley as Maria 5 episodes Jason Ritter as Clicker (uncredited) 2 episodes Kaitlyn Dever as Abby Anderson 4 episodes Danny Ramirez as Manny Alvarez 4 episodes Tati Gabrielle as Nora 3 episodes Spencer Lord as Owen 3 episodes Samuel Hoeksema as Clicker 4 episodes Robert John Burke as Seth 4 episodes Ariela Barer as Mel 3 episodes Ezra Benedict Agbonkhese as Benji 3 episodes Noah Lamanna as Kat 2 episodes Gillian Barber as Councilwoman 2 episodes Keiran Bohay as Dina's Dance Partner 2 episodes Victor Lau as Dina's Dance Partner 2 episodes Molly Scarpine as Female Stalker Voice (voice) 2 episodes Alanna Ubach as Hanrahan 2 episodes Jeffrey Wright as Isaac Dixon 2 episodes Ben Ahlers as Burton 2 episodes Hettienne Park as Elise Park 2 episodes Catherine O'Hara as Gail 3 episodes
Production Board

Crew

Property Buyer
Bonnie Jones
Set Dresser
Jeff Bodie Terek Jonzon Tony Nagle Steven Kajorinne
Set Supervisor
Steve Holloway
Set Decoration
Paul Healy Jonathan Lancaster
Set Decoration Buyer
Chris MacRae Rene Jansen Brent Strosher
Assistant Art Director
Hitoshi Okamoto Nathan Blackie Matt Vest
Art Department Coordinator
Narissa Taylor Bryan Eng
Lead Set Dresser
Darcy Healy Luke Burton Clayton Wispinski Rob Orechow
Property Builder
James Hutniak Peter White Shannon Joel Chappell
Set Decorating Coordinator
Aida Karabegovic
Property Master
Justin Onofriechuk Nevin Swain
Creator
Neil Druckmann
Paint Coordinator
Colin Comeau
Art Direction
Stevo Bedford
Assistant Property Master
Greg Auch
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Last of Us overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

people smuggling post-apocalyptic future infection survival epidemic based on video game
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
January 15, 2023
Status
Returning Series
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
7,239