The Last of Us is a video game adaptation that actually works

The Last of Us may be remembered as the point when Hollywood’s approach to video game adaptations finally changed. In this, it’s as significant a creative development as Jon Favreau’s Iron Man was in creating a new formula for Marvel superhero movies.

The series, which began on Sky Atlantic last week, is set 20 years after a fungal pandemic wiped out modern civilisation. Joel (Pedro Pascal) is a smuggler hired to get 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone and across a post-apocalyptic America. It’s based on a 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog.

For decades, moviemakers have struggled to create live-action films based on the intellectual property of video games. That’s been true even of franchises with recognisable characters that are culturally relevant and financially profitable. The movies they’ve churned out have been stupid and poorly designed, disappointing fans young and old with ham-handed versions of the characters they know and love.