Neil Druckmann’s 2013 game The Last Of Us is widely regarded as one of the best ever made, thanks to a superb script, faultless performances and cinematic presentation. To bring it to the small screen, Druckmann has joined forces with Chernobyl showrunner Craig Mazin, and together the pair have emphatically broken the curse of videogame adaptations.
It’s 2003, and the Cordyceps fungus (which burrows into insects’ brains and takes control of their corpses) is mutating from nature to humankind. Over the following two decades, zombified victims infest desolate US cities while survivors band together uneasily in antagonistic factions. Against their wishes, middle-aged Joel (Pedro Pascal) and 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are thrust together, the former tasked with escorting the latter (his ‘cargo’) in aid of a bumper supply drop.

While the series almost slavishly follows the game’s plot, there are some welcome deviations. The outstanding third episode radically expands on the story of Bill (Nick Offerman), a survivalist who, ironically, has little to live for until he is unexpectedly given a second chance at life. It’s joyous incidents like this that distinguish The Last Of Us from other post-apocalyptic fictions (The Road is a clear inspiration).

Ellie, a girl who knows nothing but this dreadful reality, is sporadically enriched by snatches of wonder. And, while her naivety slowly hardens, Joel’s attitude to his charge very gradually softens. Their fractious relationship (which forms the story’s beating heart) is painstakingly drawn, and both actors are impeccable. The Last Of Us is a flawless adaptation and an exhilarating piece of television.

The Last Of Us airs on NOW and Sky Atlantic, Mondays, 9pm.