HBO’s The Last of Us is an American apocalyptic story that finds a world populated by “clickers”, i.e. humans affected by the Cordyceps Brain Infection that mutates them into zombies. The series features Pedro Pascal as Joel who is found safeguarding and transporting a kid, Ellie, across the infected terrain. The series also features a cast comprising Melanie Lynskey, Gabriel Luna, Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, and Merle Dandridge.
The Last of Us Teaser and its Chaotic Pessimism
The Last of Us teaser offered very few words but emotions ran high throughout its dread-filled 90 seconds. It began with a world still populated but veiled in grief and Pedro Pascal‘s Joel walking into it. By the time the chaos reigned, he was walking away or perhaps toward something. Adapted from the eponymous video game series, The Last of Us follows Joel and Ellie as they traverse through an apocalyptic landscape across America, fighting, surviving, and searching for the light at the end of the tunnel.
Also read: 10 Mind-Boggling Facts About The Last of Us You Must Know!
The heartbreaking tenor of the story perfectly welds itself with the melancholic and paced thrum of Hank Williams’ country tune “Alone and Forsaken”. If that itself doesn’t describe the entirety of the plot, then the “save who you can save” message desolately whispered against the backdrop of the fiery chaos certainly makes it clear for the audience. The plot, as expected, escalates and turns more hurried, and even though the actual threat from whom everyone runs has only been shown in passing fragments, the actors wonderfully create the bleak, captivating, and heartbreaking aura that shrouds the world of Joel and Ellie.
Fans Upset Over Bella Ramsey’s Casting as Ellie
Even as the teaser sets the bar high for the rest of the series, fans are still upset over the casting choice. Pedro Pascal stuns as Joel but it is Bella Ramsey as Ellie who has become a cause for concern among the invested audience. The primary reason for the discontent traces back to the original Playstation franchise which featured an Ellie that looked much different than the Game of Thrones famed child actor. Even though an adaptation necessarily is not obliged to stay true to the physical appearance of in-game characters, it does help the audience relate more when the world of animation turns into live-action.
First look at Bella Ramsey as Ellie in HBO’s ‘THE LAST OF US’ series. pic.twitter.com/RU5vo3GSn5
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 26, 2022
Not even close to Ellie :/
Both aesthetics and voice etc… unfortunate since it’s one of the main characters..
— 丂ｲ乇ｱ (@oOStep_Oo) September 26, 2022
5/10
Like most of the Live Action adaptations i don’t dig the castings as much, it’s hard to capture those vibes the game gave in live action when you aren’t in control.
Honestly would’ve loved it more if it was made in CGI like this TLOU2 spot, that was insane. pic.twitter.com/EoeeGEBNmC
— 丂ｲ乇ｱ (@oOStep_Oo) September 26, 2022
Pedro Pascal doesn't look like Joel either but we all know what a good actor he is, the same can be said for Bella. Give her a chance, she was great in GOT.
— Sunvy (@sunvy0) September 26, 2022
I literally have no issues that she doesn’t look like Ellie as long as she nails the role and I’m pretty confident she will. There is a reason why she was casted
— PadreNando (@Nanofathering) September 26, 2022
She looks great, and her acting is about to be amazing, if you don't like the casting no one is forcing you to watch!! I, for one, cannot wait to see her!!
— kayla (@icepckd) September 26, 2022
Needless to say, without even uttering a single word, Bella Ramsey conveys multitudes of emotions throughout every single frame that she happens to be in. The fragments from the show that have been enmeshed into a trailer say as much when she stands her ground and sets herself apart even in the presence of Pedro Pascal’s powerful performance. It now depends on the young and talented actress to prove the mass sentiments wrong.
The Last of Us premieres in 2023.
Source: Discussing Film
