The Last of Us

What’s it about?

Birthday celebrations turn into a horror story when a fungal infection plagues civilisation, turning people into the undead. 20 years later society is crumbling and the unrest between the government and a rebel group threatens to destroy what is left, but who is in the right?

Joel (Pedro Pascal), Tess (Anna Torv) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) escape an oppressive quarantine zone and set out on a journey across the US. They face the brutal and heart breaking reality of what the outside world has become.

The facts

• Created by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl, The Hangover Part II) and Neil Druckmann (The Last of Us, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End)
• English language
• Runtime: 77 minutes
• Based on the popular 2013 video game The Last of Us

Why did it get this rating?

This show was self-rated by Neon. You can find out more about self-rating by streaming providers here.

Horror

This is a post-apocalyptic zombie-based series. Zombies are shown attacking and eating people. They move quickly and their bodies contort in unnatural ways. When infection starts, chaos erupts with people screaming and running on the street, there are car and plane crashes and plenty of jump scares.

The high standard of cinematography makes scenes more frightening and engaging. At times it reflects the style of a video game and is shot from a first-person perspective.

Violence

Alongside the brutal zombie attacks, where bloody injuries such as open neck wounds are shown, there is also violence between people, including women and children. This includes gun and knife violence, as well as explosions and punch-ups. Examples of violence include:

• A teenage girl is shot in the stomach and bleeds out.
• A man repeatedly punches another in the face. Afterwards he looks at his fist which is covered in blood.
• A woman is shown with bruises, blood and swelling on her face after being attacked by a group of men (not shown).

Offensive language

Offensive language is used throughout the episode, such as words like “f**k”, “sh*t” and “asshole”.

This horror, violence and offensive language is likely to continue and potentially increase throughout the rest of the season.

Further information

• Suicide, self-sacrifice and The Last of Us
• The Last of Us: Is this the best-ever TV series based on a video game?
• Why are ratings and content warnings important for me and my whānau?
• A Flesh take on Zombies
• Horror films, scary sounds and pesky sleepovers
• You’re in control with parental controls
• Talking with young people about what they’re watching