The Last Of Us: Analysis Of The Teaser Trailer Of The Tv Series: Fidelity And Greatness
One of the most awarded video games ever The Last Of Us becomes an HBO series, one of the most awarded cable channels ever, and synonymous with quality with a series of elements that, since the first announcement, already indicated the birth of the project under a lucky star: Craig Mazin, the author behind the wonderful Chernobyl miniseries, and Neil Druckmann, the videogame author, as showrunners; Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as protagonists; Gustavo Santaolalla who returns to compose music, after having given an extraordinary soundtrack to video games; authorial directors of the caliber of Kantemir Balagov (The Autumn Girl), Ali Abbasi (Border) and Jasmila Žbanić (Quo Vadis, Aida?).
And of course, it is impossible to remain silent and not betray a cry of surprise once you have seen the first images. A small video of just over 90 seconds was enough to sweep away any doubts and confirm the goodness of what will arrive in 2023. In this short trailer, intended to give a small taste of what is to come, we have found many curious and interesting elements, which can let us guess the direction that the series will take. Here is our analysis of the teaser trailer of The Last of Us, the series that will come on HBO Max and which promises to become a real television phenomenon.
The Last Of Us: Suggestions For Fans, Between Images And Music
The first thing to point out is that this first teaser trailer of The Last of Us seems made for fans of the video game. Rather than wanting to present the story that will be told, it was preferred to show the world in which it is set, leaving the identity of the characters and the situations shown for granted. If we were to know absolutely nothing about the videogame product, we would be struck by the atmosphere we breathe, the photography and the refined staging, with some shots that strike from the first impact. We would perceive the great significance of a story which, however, is kept hidden and leaves us only a few suggestions.
Yet it is precisely the suggestions that make this trailer successful. We pass from a metropolitan environment to extensive snow-covered fields, from a trip by car at a gallop on the saddle of a horse, from moments of rapid light to others of black darkness. Moments of action and others of reflection, focusing on close-ups of human figures, intent on expressing their emotions. And again, the smoky and dirty atmosphere, of late arrival, culminates with a quick shot of one of the infected.
To tie everything together we think of the music, with the choice of a song that fans of the video game know well. This is Hank Williams’ country song Alone and Forsaken, already present in a memorable sequence of the video game (and which we will also see in the trailer briefly), listened to during a car trip by the two protagonists Joel and Ellie, and which above all perfectly embodies the spirit of what we are going to see (as often and willingly happened with the non-original songs chosen within the game). This song accentuates the feeling of great epic as the images scroll. But what do we see in these 90 seconds of trailers?
What Will The First Season Of The Last Of Us Tell?
The Last of Us tells the story of a world now adrift, where the outbreak of an epidemic caused by the Cordyceps fungus has infected a large part of the population, making it mutant and violent. Years after the start of this apocalypse, Joel (Pedro Pascal), who has not yet overcome the death of his daughter Sarah, lives in a controlled quarantine area, working as a smuggler. In contact with Marlene, the head of the rebel militia of the Lights (who wants to rebel against the police), Joel will be in charge of taking Ellie, a 14-year-old alone, out of the quarantine zone. The two will begin this road trip full of dangers.
There are some images, present in the trailer, which can give us the narrative coordinates of what will be told in The Last of Us and how far the series will go to adapt the source material. As we all know, trailers, especially in the field of seriality, try in every way not to spoil any kind of surprise, and often show only images of the very first episodes. We can, however, consider it very likely that the season will cover all the events of the first video game (we will explain the reason later) and that the chapter will be present (it is not yet known in what form, whether as a flashback or a dedicated episode). Left Behind, a prequel starring Ellie and her best friend Riley (Storm Reid).
The Last Of Us: What The Trailer Shows Us
The beginning of the trailer shows the quarantine area, strewn with curfew notices and with the military well present along the streets (some are forcing two citizens to repaint the symbol of the Lights from a window). We are then introduced to Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, with a shot that starts from the watch he wears on his wrist, an object of which video game fans are well aware of the importance, above all emotional.
Ellie, on the other hand, (we recognize her from her shoes) is presented in chains, just as if she were a package to be delivered. It is a fleeting introduction to the two protagonists, interested in focusing on the inner dimension, the real strength of the story of The Last of Us. In this trailer, which serves above all to reassure gamers that their favorite title has not been misinterpreted, there is no shortage of real visual references taken on a par with the video game (and even the first promotional image released put more than some doubts on whether it was part of the series or a screenshot of the new remake). One of these is Boston’s dilapidated Goldstone Building, the city where the story is set in its early stages, virtually identical to its PlayStation counterpart.
The mysterious figure, intent on watching a series of monitors, could be a character named Bill, a paranoid survivor who will help Joel and Ellie at some point on their journey. He can be recognized by his hair, very similar, and by the presence of a rifle on the table, to the left of the frame. Bill will appear in the sunlight later in the trailer, aiming the rifle at Joel.
Immediately after, a shot shows two skeletons, wrapped in their now stale clothes. It is a shot that not only strengthens that description of the world in which the story is set, adding tragedy and filth, but instills in the fan’s mind the various collectibles, and objects to be found on the game map that gave testimonies of ex-survivors (and more than a few thrills).
Finally, perhaps the element that most characterized The Last of Us: is the horror tension. The protagonists, including Tess (Anna Torv), Joel’s accomplice, hide from a clicker, one of the types of fungus-infected, blind but hypersensitive to hearing. Just the clicker will show itself a little further on in a fleeting frame, which, however, highlights the maniacal care with which the monsters of the series were made.
A shot of a bridge crossing over a snowy landscape leaves us with an important clue as to how much the first season will cover the story. And the feeling is that it can cover the entire first chapter. Unless there are substantial differences in the structure of the story (we already know that the series will make several changes to the video game’s plot and will take different paths), the winter season belongs to the last act of the game, where the spotlight will focus more on Ellie. And it is she who, later on, will be shown with her face covered in blood. A confirmation that opens the door to a narrative chapter that fans remember well.
Also appears Marlene, played by Merle Dandrige, the same actress who gave voice and body (thanks to the performance capture) to the character in the video game. Marlene will be a very important character in the events, also present in the events of the Left Behind DLC. It is no coincidence that the other character presented immediately after is Storm Reid’s Riley, a friend of Ellie’s heart. In that additional chapter, the two spend time (even lightheartedly on the rides, as seen in the trailer) inside a shopping mall.
Trying to put the next montage in order, ever faster and more adrenaline-pumping, to also describe the presence of action within the series, is a real undertaking. You can recognize some sequences taken from the chest of the video game: the prologue (Joel holding his daughter Sarah, but also the plane that collapses and explodes), a struggle within the quarantine zone between law enforcement and rebels, a lonely Ellie hiding from threats, Joel’s outburst (it could involve another man named Henry, another episode that video game fans know very well and one of the most touching moments in history) and the presence of his brother Tommy (played by Gabriel Luna), very different from what he looks like in the video game.
A new character is also shown, played by Melanie Lynskey, already seen in Yellowjacket: it is Kathleen, the leader of a revolutionary movement based in Kansas City. This character has never appeared in video games, being an absolute new entry that would already indicate how the series could diverge from the history of the video game. Even the presence of the actress turned out to be a real surprise, discovered for the first time with the images of this trailer.
Feelings of Grandeur
Let’s be honest: even if we don’t know anything about the video game’s plot, this teaser trailer for The Last of Us cannot fail to instill curiosity. You want it for a striking mise-en-scène, either for the spectacular settings, or because we have always seen few and even less high-quality survival-horror series. In just over ninety seconds The Last of Us not only presents itself as a series but as a successful brand, bringing with it a unique dimension that breathes the atmosphere of a great event.
Here, “great” seems to be the adjective that best describes The Last of Us. Great history, great emotions, great experience. Which are the things that matter. Indeed, the series of The Last of Us could bring many people who are not comfortable with the interactivity of the video game, but who are ready to embark on a very strong and unforgettable emotional journey. And perhaps those last two shots, so simple, calm and relaxed, two close-ups bathed in sunlight and a horseback ride against the light, can best tell the horror and human poetry of The Last of Us. A story is so great that it cannot go unnoticed. A story is so strong that it cannot remain silent.
