The Last of Us (2023– ) User Reviews

Overhyped Tripe

[farshidkarimi · 1/10 · 28 March 2023]

Why this show receives such high rating is beyond me. Why this show got so much raves? What is so special about it, making it so highly-rated? There is nothing new in this series, but the same boring cliche, things that have been done to death. Humans being infected by some kind of bacteria, they turn into zombies, the zombies bite other humans, they become zombies too. Anything new here? The main female actor is so spoiled and irritating and she loves guns and violence. They embark on a journey through a post-apocalyptic landscape and encounter some boring individuals. Again, nothing new here.

I just dont understand why someone would like this boring overhyped piffle.

Awful show every other ep is boring

[adleg · 1/10 · 27 April 2023]

Not sure if playing the game would change this but a non game player seemed like every other ep was filler and they spend a whole ep trying to get you to like 2 guys that just die at the end... like come on I can't build a connection to two guys in 40 mins. Now perhaps these 2 were big in the game or something and needed 2 eps for them to die? That being said it's not just that ep its every other ep that is just trying to hard to make you care about something that doesn't matter or move the plot forward. If you skip every other ep its pretty good. Can't believe it's got an 8.8 that's just crazy.

Criminally overrated

[amir-50168 · 1/10 · 22 March 2023]

I am not the biggest fan of the original game so I was a bit more open minded when this series came out.

I don't understand all these 10 and 9 ratings. It's a okay show at best. Lots of filler and terrible pacing. Ellie is incredibly annoying and Joel is bland af.

I kind of expected that the infected weren't really going to be a big part of this show because this show goes the not so subtle road of "ThE HUmAnS ARe ThE REal MoNStErS". But the amount of time wasted on unnecessary side plots that ultimately add nothing to the overall story was baffling.

I can only explain all these hyper positive reviews with a standard that got lowered so much because of all these mediocre shows we got over the last years.

But seriously this is just "The walking dead" with a higher budget and more virtue signaling. To all those that actually want to continue this show: Have fun with season 2 and everyone's favorite golf pro.

Way Overrated

[gagsabelyan · 1/10 · 28 March 2023]

First of all, I haven't play the game so my review is based on only movie and I don't know how I would rate it if I played the game.

The first episode was good enough. It keeps you in front of the screen promising some good continuation.

Unfortunately, after that it was just boring. It's fair to mention that after the second episode I was thinking what are going to be the next series that I can watch cs I was waiting for the end of the movie.

The third episode was totally out of the movie lane. Seems like the team really wants an Oscar or another achievement so they just spent full episode in the movie about zombies on some lgbt stuff and it was not just ridiculous but even funny.

Pedro Pascal was on his level no any disputes but I was way more surprised how good was Bella Ramsey. She def has a bright future.

In total we've got very overrated, overhyped, boring and scene by scene OK series, second season of which I am not gonna watch for sure. Have a feeling of wasted time.

Why ruin a good story?

[user-641-432529 · 1/10 · 20 March 2023]

I normally leave only positive reviews so I feel bad about what I'm about to write next, but it is what it is.

I've seen the game and I have played it. Heck, you can go on twich / youtube and watch theradbrad or other payers go over it. The game is pretty awesome and full of unexpected moments which happen all the time. Furthermore, the main two characters build a very special connection which is very close to a father-daughter one.

I was really excited to hear there will be a tv show and was really looking forward to watch it. Unfortunately this has been a disappointment for many reasons:

1. People who watched/played the game already know most of what will happen. The series aren't adding anything new - you already know what's about to happen and it happens exactly the same way as the game.

2. The main two characters don't have the same chemistry as in the game which makes it hard to believe the story line.

3. Ellie. Why, oh why, did they decide to make Ellie's character completely different? In the game Ellie has a strong language but she's a teenager with no parents. What the TV Ellie version leaks for me is compassionate, caring and very curious about the world girl.

4. There is a sense of "slow movement" for people who know the game, because the story line lacks new elements.

5. The game has a lot of action which doesn't seem to be happening in the tv series.

This show could have been an awesome one, but turned out to be the same old zombie concept we all know and have watched 300 times. To make things worse - they had all of the ingredients to make it work -- an awesome story line and very well defined characters! Sadly the end result isn't what I expected. :/

I can go on and on, but I'll stop here.

No traces of the emotional tone in the OG material.

[k_hodgman · 1/10 · 31 March 2023]

The Last of Us (2013) combined the sheer despondency of The Road, the grit of No Country for Old Men, to the somberness of Children of Men. You were held emotionally captive, kept overwhelmed by the seriousness of the tone, in juxtaposition to a medium that we usually assume is dominated by dime-a-dozen "Shoot 'em ups"; ie: Video Games. The Last of Us took itself seriously: via cinematic cutscenes and movie worthy dialogue: demanding respect from it's audience, which was happily given after an apprehensive launch.

You wouldn't remember/know any of that from watching the HBO show. The sheer bleakness of tone was sacrificed in favor of rushed subplots: subtracting from the audience bonding with Joel and Ellie, and witnessing any natural, progressive, slow bonding between them; for mass appeal. Even HBO's Game of Thrones had to pay "it's dues" the first couple seasons; Relying on the good will and interest from eager fans of the novel series, to generate enough interest until casual viewers became interested (from which it then exploded into a phenomenon).

Sicario's Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) and Kate (Emily Blunt) have more accurate chemistry to The Last of Us's characters Joel and Ellie, than the title characters do in this (inaccurate) rendition. I suggest you watch Sicario, and any of the three inspiration films for The Last of Us, or Logan, if you want true representation of how it should FEEL.

Very overrated

[rippingvans · 1/10 · 13 March 2023]

I could barely watch the first episode. It was boring, I could not get invested in the plot, the dialogue is stale, the infected people are mostly funny and not scary, and they are very careless with the details. I'll give you just one example: you cannot burn bodies like that, out in the open, and just sit so carelessly near them. They stink horribly, they make a very thick smoke and no one does that. In both world wars, for example, they either dug ditches and threw lime over them or used a crematorium. I've read some reviews saying that this gets worse, I'm curious how is that possible. Oh well, guess I'll never find out (sad face)

The fungi are connected

[moonrayman · 1/10 · 7 March 2023]

Like many reviewers on here, I must admit to not having played the game - so the impressions and thoughts are merely based on the series HBO gave us.

The production values are sound and clearly, the showrunners attempted to go for depth and a wow-factor - but boy how woefully they fail.

Where there could have been a refreshing new take on the genre (it's fungi after all), there are clichés after clichés, where there could have been world building and storytelling, there are clichés after clichés, where there could have been suspense, there are clichés after clichés, and where there should have been character development and personal growth, there are ... well you guessed it.

Post pandemic, this is the show the audience has been waiting for - judging by the praise being sung. Humanity surviving against a terrible vi-, ah no, fungus. Of course, the danger from WITHIN can sometimes be much graver ... (where there could have been psychological exploration, there are ... oh well).

Flanked (and flunked) by wooden performances and largely-chunked-suspension-of-disbelief-patterns-of-behaviour, the show suffers from a variety of shortcomings the most blatant of which: it's all been done countless times before - just better. Nothing is left to the imagination, there is no suspense or psychological tension. The action set pieces are bland. All is being spelled out in the most mind numbing and obvious manner.

SPOILER examples include:

• We only have to cross that bridge, then we will be safe. (ugh - guess what happens)

• They are CLICKERS - they can't see, but they can HEAR (so SSSSHUSHPENSH).

• Why do you want to kill him so bad? He killed my BROTHER! (ugh)

• Grumpy wounded hero of the piece, will we become friends, given that I'm like the daughter you lost? - NO! (yes)

• How can we EVER leave the parameter? - I have a plan - those unguarded tunnels that lead straight out might be an option. (they are an option. They are unguarded. They lead straight out. Why has nobody tried that before? Because THEY TOLD 'EM MONSTERS WERE DOWN THERE. The lie was so good - nobody checked. No guards were required either)

• Oh! An abandoned creepy room full of toys from long dead or departed children - maybe there are monsters just waiting to attack? Shhhhh, maybe be careful. (alas no. Let's scream with laughter, play ball, and flash 'em flashlights in the dark to be seen from miles away whilst barely seeing anything yourself. (not all too scary 'em funguys eh? - nope)).

• Oh! A suspiciously out-of-focus granny in the background of the frame. She's VERY still, whilst there is an unsuspecting girl in the foreground. - Oh NO! She MOVES! WATCH OUT!

• I am a tough warrioress and lover of the hero - so when the funguys attack, I'll use a GRENADE and AT LEAST TAKE SOME OF 'EM WITH ME in an act of heroic self-sacrifice (shame though, that there was virtually no prior characterization so *shrug).

The list goes on and on.

Please showrunners (!), I beg you. Take a risk. Deal with adults. Become screenwriters and directors again. Trust in the minds of your audience or make it your job to rebuild them. Read Truffaut and Hitchcock, Alan Ball, early Spielberg, Shirley Jackson, adult Dahl, Haneke, Corman, even DePalma. Indulge in that 15-second camera pan round a carefully designed room that tells you something about a character - which you refer back to and build on subtlely throughout. Don't play it safe. Hide characterization in nuanced behaviour. Don't spell it all out to a T. Help us engage our minds. Get us used to patience-without-boredom and suspense-without-jumpscares again. Experiment a little. All the best shows did - and they were just as commercially successful.

For those europe-lovers out there: Never ever has a Eurovisiong Song Contest song won that blatantly copied the previous year's winner.

As far as rating similarities go, this is no Godfather.

Possibly the worst

[janoffpeter · 1/10 · 11 March 2023]

Admittedly the first half of the first episode was ok and promising in a horror movie kind of way. However the series declines rapidly in every respect towards the end of the pilot. I have never been so disappointed by an HBO series as this. I couldn't stay awake because it was so boring, irritating, forced and contrived. The script and acting were so inferior that it went straight into the streaming trash can. Even Pascale's performance was sub par. Avoid it like the plague or at least like a fungus. I never knew a series could take such a serious subject as a global pandemic and really succeed in undermining the seriousness of it. Shockingly poor writing, directing ,casting and acting.

Awful

[jztnjcna · 1/10 · 18 March 2023]

It's already starting to go down the walking dead route of making absolutely pointless filler episodes that have nothing to do with the main storyline. You could skip 2-3 episodes of this series and you would not miss anything. It's suppose to be a zombie like apocalypse but besides one episode there's been next to none?? Honestly I have to say this series has been a massive let down so far and I'm shocked how poorly HBO has done considering their standards are usually high. It's only the first season so I'm hoping they turn it around in the second one but they need to massively step up their game because I'm tried my best to try enjoy this series as I love game but besides one episode I find it severely boring.

Rushed, even though game and series are of equal length

[golden_fighter_009 · 1/10 · 13 March 2023]

The game was almost 10-12 long which consisted of side quests, exploration, alot of silence, consistent action, consistent engagement, and and still none of it had fillers like this series.

All the TV series had to do was be consistent with the game's story and it failed to do so on many levels. We almost get to spend same amount of time with every character yet they all lack certain depth. As the episodes progresses we can feel the story being rushed. Video editors did a horrible job of cutting and shortening certain intense scenes. They gave depth and character to the over all arc and the world but failed to fit the characters in it. Characters were given filler stories, just to extend the episode. HBO seemed like tightening the budget episode by episode. Characters appear later in episode did not had that kind of chemistry. Audience had to agree on certain scenes on the threat of being cancelled. Episode 3, 4, most of 5, and 7 were just filler episodes. We can cut them down and still it wont effect the series because its already tasteless. Dont jump on the hype train After Episode its a downhill.

It's not scary; It's not funny; It's just bad...beyond bad.

[psxexperten · 1/10 · 20 October 2023]

Welcome to amateur hours!

It's similar to: "The Walking Dead" but far worse.

Another zombie movie made by people without brain trying to create fear among the viewers. The story is like" Watch out, or my people will kill your people." To make matters worse, the entire cast of characters in this disaster is a parade of annoyance and unlikability. I'm convinced these actors are the remnants of a bargain-basement, last-resort acting class, and their performances are more cringe-inducing than a middle school talent show. To sum it up, "Do Not Waste Your Time" should have been the official tagline of this cinematic disaster. This movie isn't scary, it isn't funny, and it makes as much sense as trying to solve a Rubik's Cube with oven mittson. Save yourself the agony and find something else to watch - anything else.

way too much hype this was boring

[stanpriest · 1/10 · 8 February 2023]

Boring, waste of time, what a dud. I started to try to watch this and thought this might be interesting. Welp I was wrong. So turned it off, You lost me. The show that was nothing short of a major disappointment. Extremely overrated and I do not see it, The show is a major disappointment. Completely, jumped the shark.

From start to finish, it was a dull and boring experience, failing to capture my interest or hold my attention. I would rate it a meager one star. I feel like I rated it too high, sorry about that.

The premise of the show may have started with a mildly intriguing notion, in the long run it lacked creativity. The characters were poorly developed and lacked depth, making it difficult to connect with them or care about their stories. The dialogue was stiff and unnatural, lacking the spark that makes good television so engaging.

The show's pace was painfully slow, with long stretches of inactivity that dragged on without end. The plot was predictable and lacked any real sense of tension or excitement. I found myself checking my watch repeatedly, counting down the minutes until it was over.

The production value had potential and then still found a way to ultimately come up short. The lighting had interesting moments, and then overall it was flat and uninteresting, and the special effects started out kind of interesting and ultimately were underwhelming. The music was forgettable and failed to add any real impact to the scenes. Forgettable.

The TV show was a waste of time. I cannot recommend it to anyone, regardless of their personal taste in television. It was dull, boring, lacking the elements that make good television so enjoyable. If you're looking for something to watch, I would suggest you look elsewhere, as this show is not worth your time or attention.

Does anyone really think this is watchable ?

[bichards-92088 · 1/10 · 5 March 2023]

Unbelievably slow, and getting worse gave up having any interest by episode 4. Have left on in the baclground whilst watching my grass grow for episodes 5 to 7 and set an alarm to wake up and see a small bit of activity in the last 2 minutes of each eposode. Not always lucky but hey who cant afford to waste 2 minutes , unless its raining outside, or car passes or moon pops out etc, etc. Should not be renewed for a second season as to allow the cast and crew to pursue other projects that will help revive their careers after this disaster. I am sure that they are talented but who would know from this chatty borefest.

Slow and Ridiculous

[joanna_h · 1/10 · 14 March 2023]

I know this is based on a popular hand but wow, this was painful to watch. Not even the good actors can save this show. The first episode was not bad, but after all the apocalypse & zombie movies and shows out there, this has to be the worst! I love Pedro Pascal and he does a good job with the material. But it's just SO slow. After shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, this is like watching paint dry. And those shroom heads! Are you kidding me? I am at a loss as to how this is getting such high marks. Are you guys getting paid to write positive reviews? Maybe you're a fan of the game. Please tell me the game is more exciting than this show!

Lackluster Show with Tired Themes

[elizabethjeanhampton · 1/10 · 13 March 2023]

The Last of Us show has become the most unoriginal and a tired mess of cliches in this TV series storylines. I heard a bit of buzz surrounding this TV program but I'm very disappointed to watch this drivel and predictable plot lines. I previously liked exploring new shows and creative storylines but Hollywood has been dredging up old, tired scripts and warping them to fit unrealistic characters and cliché endings. I would like a new TV show storyline developed with realistic characters.

Where has Hollywood's creativity gone? It seems like the same stories get repeated over and over. How boring!

Another zombie series, nothing more

[hisham-rojbani · 1/10 · 27 February 2023]

So far the pilot episode is the best, other than that, unnecessary side stories, that won't add any value to the main plot. I think the writers are just recycling the walking dead again, and trying to squeeze some revenues as much as they can, also emphasizing on the "no one is safe" cliche used in the walking dead. Another thing I was disturbed with was the obvious direction episode 7 "left behind" was taking since I know HBO has no... how should I put this?... No boundaries. I think with this bland and slow pace story the show will not survive for another season. But hey! This is HBO they have the money to keep a dead fish in a tank. Also how dare you rate this show putting it in par with great shows like Breaking Bad???

Lastly, Go play the game, it's way better, you can really feel how sincere its creators were when they made it.

Highly disappointing

[mcleanman-01635 · 1/10 · 28 February 2023]

Honestly went in hoping it was going to be great boy was I wrong. From the first episode on it was loosely based on the game and seemed to borrow more from TWD. Pascal was a good and believable casting option. Bella however has no real feeling of anything like the basis for her character. Personally I can't get a young much less talented Haley Joel Osment vibe from her in looks as well. I feel something with this much beloved story line to speak off should have been taken from much further than it was. I feel like this was made for an audience that may know the game exists but has never really played the game it fails on so many levels if I could give it a 0 I would. Even though it seems to try very hard to get you to care about the characters I find it hard if not nearly impossible to connect with any of them. This show is boring and slow which wouldn't be bad if the could produce some sort real tension. Watch at your own risk.

Gets worse and worse

[vkjbhqtqg · 1/10 · 21 February 2023]

Hoping it gets better and to SOME point by the end of ONE episode. It just doesn't. Every episode doesn't even serve a purpose. Maybe you think they do, but they end up NOT. Waste, waste, waste.

No cliffhangers either. Dispensable and dispicable.

Her blood hasn't seem to do anything. There's no maps. There's no anything. Every episode ends just like it begins. It's like a bad chapter in a novel you want to try to keep reading but just have to put it down or use it for kindling. This show sucks really that bad and doesn't serve a purpose here. Like I said, you want to. But it is really THAT BAD.

The soft version of the video game, there's no action, not infected, not clickers,they change a lot of things "best adaptation of a video game" yeah sure , what a shame

[adriancespedes-36255 · 1/10 · 7 March 2023]

The soft version of the video game, there's no action, not infected, not clickers,they change a lot of things "best adaptation of a video game" yeah sure , what a shame. Bella Ramsey just over acted, the interaction between characters so poor ,you don't have thing that make the video game a masterpiece, the majority of positive criticism ,or reviews are from people that didn't play the video game ,so they can't have a real opinion , because this show is coming from a video game and they don't know the amazing work from Ashley and Troy the real Ellie and Joel,or the mystery, action ,drama that is tell in the videogame.

Tried to like it, couldn't do

[mesaxi · 1/10 · 8 February 2023]

I've never played the games, but I always heard The Last of Us was so good. Everything people told me about it said I'd rather watch the game than play it. I was wrong.

HBO hasn't had a really good show in a long time. Lately they've been buying up properties to adapt because they have a built in audience, but I'm guessing they always see a giant drop-off in around the 3rd and 4th episode.

Here we are four episodes into a series and I'm bored to tears. I WANTED to like this show, I forgave many stupid moments in the first two episodes, and then they completely wasted the third episode with a completely inconsequential story. It's like they have no idea that people are waiting to be DRAWN INTO their zombie show, which four episodes in has almost no zombies.

The ultimate Achilles heel of this show is that it hinges on the relationship between two incredibly dull characters. The edgy teenage girl character is extremely annoying, and I'd rather see the brooding martyr guy just dump her in a hole and go on being mopey than continue watching their story.

Started good but now I'm done

[paddymcrico · 1/10 · 30 January 2023]

First 2 episodes were promising. The story line seemed great and visual effects were something else. To me it looked like the next big show. However the 3rd episode was totally pointless and boring. I don't care what the dynamics of the relationship was, it just bored the life out of me. It was like an extended version of start of the movie UP. However UP is a totally different genre.

I'm not going to watch a show that's willing to waste an hour of my life.

If the rest are as dull and boring I don't want to risk wasting any more of my time. There was just no need to get so indepth.

That's me done with the show.

promising start.... boring..

[hiren-ratra · 1/10 · 15 February 2023]

No depth in character other than the 2 lead characters... so slow and boring, and losing interest so fast in conversation. Felt sleepy, with no action or any good drama. Everything conversation between characters seems so meaningless, high rating just because the first couple of episodes were good as an adaption of a great game. It's like the series has no soul, it's missing the human touch. Even in the first episode game had a more emotional cut scene than the show. Even after 5 episodes, they failed to show the epidemic effects. Even infected(Zombies) lol, there is no action. If you liked the pilot episode, that's it... you won't find anything interesting in the next 5 episodes.

Fundamental plot error 101

[Beachbum2018 · 1/10 · 31 January 2023]

Just started watching this series and at the start of E2 have already observed the script writers usual mistake of trying to make things more interesting by creating a smart know it all kid that's just destined to cause major f-ups throughout the coming episodes because she can't keep her loud mouth disengaged from her obnoxious brain that's filled with stupid ideas.

Look writers, yes it's potentially interesting and all but why are you trying to be ultra smart arsed by adding in drama that's not needed. Really it's not rocket science..... stick to the point, in reality such a kid traveling with any adults causing this much havoc that might get them killed would in reality be killed!

I didn't have to wait long for the big reveal.... that's she immune or carrying some genetic antidote, etc, but she doesn't need to be the most irritating child since the last most irritating child in Tom Cruises War of the Worlds! Then there's E3.... seriously it all adds zero to the plot!

In summary.... this is actually rubbish, terrible plot, tokenism, pastiche, and such a paper thin concept that after just 2-3 episodes it's got nowhere left to go.... swap virus for fungus... done!

Drama padding already started in E2, casting is dubious, surely you could have found a better actress to play Ellie than this, and you don't have to be so PC that every theme has to be explored.

The Zombie thing is so overplayed by now it's more than boring and cheap thrills horror screeches should be beneath any quality director.

Snoozefest of galactic proportions!

Terrible

[ikealgahtani · 1/10 · 31 January 2023]

This series is so basic. It great resembles Walking Dead. Dialogs are almost non existing and when they are, they are empty in content. Conection between characters? Zero, none. Spectator is lefted to ignorance as much as possible, and that is not suspense; suspense is when you know more than the characters know and you are expecting to their reaction in the scenes to what you already know as a spectator. But here you know almost nothing about the drama and much less to what the characters know. The director tries to extend as much as possible each minute, minute after minute. Even the sound recordind of voices at times is false, clearly post-recording in the studio. It's an emptiness story, or better: it's a 1 or 0 bit story, infected or not infected. That's it. Very, very doubtful how this can have a 9+ rating out a 10 or 4+ out of 5. I give this a 1 out a 5, based on the first two episodes, and it's clear we will not get any far around of this emptiness of scarring zombies.