The enormous success of ‘The Last of Us’ has surely left many viewers wanting to see the next episodes of the series on HBO Max -of which we already have an impressive preview-. Unfortunately, we will only be able to see one each week and to make the wait more bearable I wanted to recover 6 Movies That Inspired The Original Video Gamefurther noting where can you stream them to make the wait more bearable.
’28 days later’ (’28 Days Later’, 2002)
Direction: Danny Boyle. Distribution: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, Brendan Gleeson
Synopsis: London is a graveyard. The above-crowded streets are now deserted. The stores, empty. And there is complete silence. Following the spread of a virus that wiped out most of Britain’s population, terrifying beings invaded. The virus spread after a raid on a laboratory by a group of animal rights defenders. Transmitted through blood, the virus produces devastating effects on those affected. In 28 days the epidemic spreads throughout the country and only a handful of survivors remain.
The link with ‘The Last of Us’: Neil Druckman, creator of the video game, highlighted it as one of the main references because it is a tape “very character focused” despite the zombie theme, since they did not want to do like other movies or games that focus too much on how the infection has developed.
‘Children of Men’ (‘Children of Men’, 2006)
Direction: Alfonso Cuaron. Distribution: Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, Michael Caine, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Charlie Hunnam
Synopsis: Year 2027: the human being is on the verge of extinction: men have lost the ability to procreate and it is unknown why all the women on the planet have become sterile. At the same time, the world shakes when an 18-year-old boy, the youngest person on Earth, dies. a situation of rampant chaos is therefore lives. In such circumstances, Theo, a disillusioned ex-radical activist from London turned bureaucrat, is hired by Julian to protect a woman who may hold the secret to humanity’s salvation, the most valuable person on Earth…
The link with ‘The Last of Us’: Druckamnn has acknowledged on several occasions that he was greatly inspired by the Alfonso Cuarón film, ensuring also that it is one of those tapes that leaves you speechless.
Review of “Children of Men”
‘Night of the Living Dead’ (‘Night of the Living Dead’, 1968)
Direction: George A. Romero. Distribution: Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea, Marilyn Eastman, Karl Hardman, Judith Ridley, Keith Wayne
Synopsis: Radiations from a satellite cause a terrifying phenomenon: the dead come out of their graves and attack men to feed themselves. The action begins in a Pennsylvania cemetery, where Barbara, after being attacked by an undead, flees to a farm. Ben has also taken refuge there. Both will build barricades to defend themselves against a multitude of ruthless zombies that can only be defeated with a blow to the head.
The connection to ‘The Last of Us’: the germ of the acclaimed video game is in an idea that Druckmann proposed to George A. Romero to make a video game based on ‘Night of the Living Dead’. The legendary director did not like it, but years later it was recovered and ended up evolving into the basis for the HBO series.
‘No country for old men’ (‘No Country for Old Men’, 2007)
Direction: Joel and Ethan Coen. Distribution: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Woody Harrelson, Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Dillahunt, Tess Harper, Barry Corbin
Synopsis: In 1980, on the Texas border, near the Rio Grande, Llewelyn Moss, an antelope hunter, discovers men riddled with bullets, a shipment of heroin and two million dollars in cash.
The connection to ‘The Last of Us’: Druckmann pointed out that it was an important source of inspiration, especially when it came to creating tension through the subtraction of elements. In fact, Joel’s name is a direct homage to the Coens and initially the character was close to that of Josh Brolin in this film, although that changed later.
Review of ‘No Country for Old Men’
‘The Crazies’ (2010)
Direction: Breck Eisner. Distribution: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker
Synopsis: A mysterious toxin in the water turns anyone exposed to it into a rogue killer. The residents of a small farming town begin to succumb to an uncontrollable rampage of violence and the chilling massacre ends in bloody lawlessness. In an attempt to control the epidemic, the army sends an elite force to blockade the approaches to the city, isolating the few remaining uninfected citizens and leaving them at the mercy of the ruthless assassins who lurk in the darkness.
The connection to ‘The Last of Us’: Bruce Straley, co-director of the game, singled out this remake as one of the zombie movies they saw during the game’s development process that both he and Druckmann liked. Interestingly, he had no problem admitting that he had not seen the original George A. Romero film.
Review of ‘The Crazies’
‘The Road: The Road’ (2009)
Direction: John Hillcoat. Distribution: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall
Synopsis: The planet has been devastated by a mysterious cataclysm and, in the midst of the desolation, a father and his son head towards the coast in search of a safe place to settle. During the trip they will come across other survivors: some have gone crazy, others have become cannibals.
The connection to ‘The Last of Us’: here it is time to cheat a bit, since Druckmann has affirmed on many occasions that he was inspired by the Cormac McCarthy novel that this film adapts. Of course, they also saw the movie and Straley is clear that the book is better.
Criticism of ‘The Road (The Road)’
In Espinof: