The Last of Us

It's been a long time since I've been so fully engrossed in a series that I could finish it in two days. The opening 30 minutes set the bar very high not only for the entire series, but also for cinema as a whole, and it will hopefully never be lowered again. The start of the pandemic was so engaging, action-packed, aggressive and breathtaking that I literally sat with my mouth open and devoured every minute. Not counting the 6th episode, which I’d rather pretend doesn't exist, the whole series is actually perfect. It has action, it has gore, it has great make-up effects, the origin of the Cordyceps, the A-list main characters (strangely enough, Ellie didn't piss me off at all, as I expected and as everyone announced, on the contrary, I actually grew to like her), and most of all, the scenery, the visuals and the pace of the story are excellent. My only regret is perhaps that 9 episodes is just drastically short and the whole series would have deserved at least a few seasons where enough attention is paid not only to the characters and their backgrounds, but also to the colonies, the original parasitic fungus and the whole world around them. Likewise, the action could have been more epic, more spectacular, and some sort of carnage battle between an army of humans against the infected would have been a highlight of the whole brand. As it is, it feels terribly truncated in places and you are thrown characters and colonies that disappear from view 30 minutes in and never return, yet you can feel the potential for them to grab attention for themselves. The finale then feels like it doesn't have that typical "feel of a final episode" and is just a simple ending to a renowned series like this and takes away a bit from the overall impression. Is this the pinnacle of 21st century filmmaking? Yes. But could it have been better? Sadly, yes, too. In sum, the overwhelming feeling is one of satisfaction and "good, but it could have been better..." (2023.03.13)

It's been a long time since I've been so fully engrossed in a series that I could finish it in two days. The opening 30 minutes set the bar very high not only for the entire series, but also for cinema as a whole, and it will hopefully never be lowered again. The start of the pandemic was so engaging, action-packed, aggressive and breathtaking that I literally sat with my mouth open and devoured every minute. Not counting the 6th episode, which I’d rather pretend doesn't exist, the whole series is actually perfect. It has action, it has gore, it has great make-up effects, the origin of the Cordyceps, the A-list main characters (strangely enough, Ellie didn't piss me off at all, as I expected and as everyone announced, on the contrary, I actually grew to like her), and most of all, the scenery, the visuals and the pace of the story are excellent. My only regret is perhaps that 9 episodes is just drastically short and the whole series would have deserved at least a few seasons where enough attention is paid not only to the characters and their backgrounds, but also to the colonies, the original parasitic fungus and the whole world around them. Likewise, the action could have been more epic, more spectacular, and some sort of carnage battle between an army of humans against the infected would have been a highlight of the whole brand. As it is, it feels terribly truncated in places and you are thrown characters and colonies that disappear from view 30 minutes in and never return, yet you can feel the potential for them to grab attention for themselves. The finale then feels like it doesn't have that typical "feel of a final episode" and is just a simple ending to a renowned series like this and takes away a bit from the overall impression. Is this the pinnacle of 21st century filmmaking? Yes. But could it have been better? Sadly, yes, too. In sum, the overwhelming feeling is one of satisfaction and "good, but it could have been better..." (2023.03.13)

The opening 30 minutes are literally the peak of cinema, something that has never been seen before. A masterful piece of work on all fronts and a display of the highest quality - if they don’t screw up on the way to the finale, The Last of Us is a definite contender for series of the year. (2023.03.06)