We dive deep into the most destructive moment of TheLastOfUs so far to dissect how the infected swarm brings complete and utter terror.
What is it that you do when faced with the end with every step that you take? Even when treading carefully, you never know what lies beneath you that you may accidentally awaken. The repeated mantra in The Last of Us thus far has been to “endure and survive,” which is also the title of this fifth episode, but is this enough when the world itself can swallow you whole? Whether it is in the initial onslaught of death or the despair that follows, existence is not easy in this world.
What could have been a bit clunky to have crack shot Joel taking out infected in proximity to the trio, you go with it because of how well-choreographed and staged everything else is. Even as it is complete chaos from which there is no escape, it doesn’t rely on shaky cameras to give this impression or fall into being scattered. Instead, it all flows together even as everything is falling apart.
The duo remains desperate to survive, and we feel that in a panicked way the camera surveys the carnage that they are backing away from. When it settles on a bloater that emerges into the fray, the scene even precedes it with a disruptive yet unsettling use of slow motion to give us a moment more as the recognition sinks in on face of the usually calm Perry.