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https://blacknerdproblems.com/the-last-of-us-review/

There is no game that shuts down the debate of whether or not video games are art with quite as much unapologetic brutality as 2013’s The Last of Us (Warning: Spoilers in link). Made by Naughty Dog (Crash Bandicoot series, Uncharted series), this game is a post-apocalyptic survival horror that put a new spin on the zombies and scarcity gameplay model made famous by Resident Evil.

“But what are some of the basics?” I can hear you asking. “What do I need to know?” Well, in short. . .

Crash Course

Instead of a feat of bioengineering or an evil corporate plot, the call in The Last of Us came from inside the house, with infected people first being infected by fungus that underwent good old-fashioned evolution. This was the first of many story beats that the game used to turn the survival horror genre on its head, all presented against the hollowed-out yet still stunningly vibrant backdrop of a darkest-timeline’d USA.

The game follows Joel, a rugged smuggler who comes off like a cross between Han Solo and “Dirty” Harry Callahan, and his proverbial last job – transporting a mysterious 13-year old girl, Ellie, across the country. He is to deliver her to a group of freedom fighters called the Fireflies. This is a group made to oppose FEDRA, the military regime that took over in the midst of the world’s destruction.

What follows is a generation-defining journey of thrills, tears, the occasional laugh, and an unbelievable amount of heart. Joel, Ellie, Tess, Bill, Tommy – the game is bursting with character and conflict in a way that makes it linger well beyond the 20 or so hours you’ll need to commit to finishing it.

It also spawned a prequel DLC, Left Behind, that explores Ellie’s life before the events of the game, and a sequel, The Last of Us: Part II.

And Now It’s a TV Show

And you’ve heard the buzz, seen the ads if you’ve been doomscrolling TikTok, and you have to know what the hype is about. Well, the previous paragraphs and the two reviews truly sum up what the hype is about. This series is, with no hyperbole, one of the greatest feats of storytelling in the history of video games. The combination of cinematic action, suffocating atmosphere, devastating writing, and stellar voice performances make for a work that defies succinct explanation and must be experienced to be believed.

What Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann aim to do with their HBO collaboration is create a new avenue for this experience, and it works.

Granted, we are only two episodes in, with a season slated for nine. So far, though, they have knocked it out of the park.

I’ll go ahead and get this first bit out of the way before getting into my review or the things you should know or expect going in: this is a time commitment. The first episode is nearly feature-length, at 1 hour 21 minutes. Episode 2 is about half that at 46 minutes. With that out of the way, though:

Episode 1 + 2: The Good, the Bad, and the Sardonic

The first question I was asked was this – is this game (and, by extension, show) always this hopeless?

My knee-jerk answer was yes. My more thoughtful answer is. . .not no.

Our series begins with a scene that was absent from the game entirely – footage from what appears to be an old talk show (indicated by the guests openly smoking on the stage and the older decor), with a scientist talking about a situation where we, as humanity, lose.

We then cut to 2003, and other than the year, a fairly faithful remake of the prologue of the first game. It is more fleshed out, the characters given a bit more dialogue, with focus being given to Sarah. I won’t comment beyond that other than to say they absolutely nailed it.

Some details have been changed, but I commend the accuracy with which they brought the game to life. The characters, even when they don’t look exactly like their digital counterparts, capture their essence very well, and it is all anchored by an immediately brilliant Pedro Pascal as Joel.

After the first 30 minutes we are post-timeskip, and Joel is looking haggard and astonishingly faithful to his source material. We are then introduced to several important characters back-to-back in Tess, Marlene, and Ellie. We don’t know what’s become of Tommy other than him not being in the QZ (quarantine zone).

Every line that the show steps out of from the original game, somehow, does more to make it a faithful adaptation than staying in those lines would have. It’s uncanny how the changes make it more like the game than a shot-for-shot recreation would, and it give us insight into what this world has become and what its people have become in kind.

We also meet the vulgar, sarcastic teenager Ellie at this point in our series, played here by Bella Ramsey. If I’m honest I’m still not sold on her as Ellie, but after two episodes, I admit she’s growing on me. Her dialogue with Tess in episode 2 belies the fact that both actors are putting on American accents (very well, in their defense, but it cracks the tiniest bit in their interactions).

While I can’t get into too many details of the first episodes beyond this, I can say that they cover approximately the first 3 hours of the game. They do this, again, with a tremendous degree of accuracy. There are a couple of minor and one fairly major change between the game and the show, but not one that I feel takes away from the narrative (and that adds several eye-popping scenes in episode 2).

Where the show shines is when Joel is front and center. His wry wit, emotional baggage, and nuanced lack of any visible nuance bring the character to life. Tess is also a fantastic physical match in her live-action casting, embodying the hard-nosed and badass woman from the game straight to my TV screen. Of note, Marlene is not only a match, she is literally the same actress in both the game and this show. We haven’t seen much of her, but what we have seen has been solid.

It’s definitely not been perfect though. Oftentimes, the humor or one-liners the characters jab each other with due to no one wanting to actually be in the situation they are in feel VERY forced. There’s a degree to which this feels intentional, but it goes beyond that into juvenile. This also makes sense, as one of the characters is juvenile, but the adults in the room going tit-for-tat with her is not the most effective in portraying the relationship they seem to be aiming to portray.

Another potential issue are the cold opens that jump back and forth in time. I don’t foresee these being in every episode but until I know more, I’ll put them here as a possible issue.

Not No

So earlier I said my answer to the question about the show being hopeless was “not no.” What did I mean by that?

What I mean is that the answer to that question is not that simple.

This game series is not one that is meant to be enjoyed. That’s why I, instead, keep saying it is meant to be experienced. It’s not supposed to have a happy ending, or a good turn, or a rallying cry by the hero to inspire the people. It’s simply not that kind of story.

Does that make it hopeless? Not necessarily.

What The Last of Us does, ultimately, is take a completely unrealistic scenario and has its inhabitants react to it in realistic ways. This, in and of itself, is not new; however, I would argue the degree to which they show realistic reaction is quite new. These were regular farmers and students and soldiers and then they were thrust into this new world so no, everything is not sugar and rainbows to be sure. It is a real world. Despair exists here, but so does hope. Hope exists in this world because hope is a real thing. But what this game, this game series, and this TV series will never do is hold your hand and point it out to you. I implore to look at this and not see a little hope:

That scene, taken out of context here to avoid spoilers, is totally optional in-game. If I had to tell you one thing or give one response to the question of this show, I’d tell you to expect this: to look, to be an active agent in your experience. Can you find hope? Sure, but you’re gonna have to press the button and look. And that, in the end, is the best compliment I can give the game: the emotions you seek, you will find, but only if you put the work in.

Two episodes in, the best compliment I can give the show is that it has, thus far, captured that quality of the game perfectly.

I strongly recommend the series, whether or not you’ve played the game, and I cannot recommend the games enough.

Cover Image via TV Insider

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The post So, You Want to Watch HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/review-teen-wolf-delivers-a-spec-script-within-an-alternative-universe/

While watching Teen Wolf: The Movie, I found myself asking the question: Who is this for? 

I was watching characters that I mostly knew, in a setting I knew all too well, fighting a demon that was instantly familiar, and yet I felt out of place. The plot holes were nonsense and the timeline was wildly inaccurate. So if this movie wasn’t for me, then who was it for? 

Maybe it’s for the cast, particularly led by Tyler Posey who plays True Alpha Scott McCall — the real Teen Wolf. He’s been vocal about wanting a movie and helped bolster the enthusiasm of all the returning cast and crew, who were excited to revisit Beacon Hills. But is visiting a Beacon Hills that is mostly unrecognizable a good start? 

We open in Japan where Scott’s first beta Liam (Dylan Sprayberry) and his girlfriend Hikari (newcomer Amy Lin Workman) are burgled by a hooded visitor who steals something important. Next we go to Los Angeles where Scott and Alan Deaton (Seth Gilliam) continue their work with animals. After a rescue, Scott is visited by two people from his past: an apparition of his long-lost love Allison Argent (Crystal Reed) and her father Chris Argent (JR Bourne). 

Both Chris, Scott, and later Lydia (Holland Roden) are being haunted by Allison, and Chris tells Scott about a ritual that could release Allison from her suffering in Bardo — the place between life and afterlife. After 10+ years, they decide to go back to Beacon Hills! 

Lydia joins Scott from San Francisco and brings along Jackson (Colton Haynes), who provides as much snarky assistance as he can. Unwittingly, Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin) is pulled into the fray along with his son Eli Hale (newcomer Vince Mattis), Peter (Ian Bohen), and kinda cousin Malia Tate (Shelley Hennig). Add in Sheriff Stilinski (Linden Ashby) and Jordan Parrish (Ryan Kelley), and the pack is back, baby! Well, sort of. 

As a long time watcher, I had very mixed feelings. I enjoyed new things like Eli Hale and the surprise appearance of Charyote, an engaging ship including Parrish and Malia. But certain fan faves were missing. Their absence was one thing, but the way they were dealt with felt rushed… and petty. I don’t blame the film for not being able to work with the missing actors, but choosing a storyline from the show that directly involved Stiles (Dylan O’Brien) and Kira (Arden Cho) and then completely erasing them from the narrative was a wild choice. 

During the run of the series, Kira was left in the desert and forgotten. Negotiations with Cho to come back for the movie were infamously scrapped. O’Brien declined to come back yet Stiles fares a little better. His absence is mentioned, but there are scenes where his presence was required and not having him there was troubling. There are several flashback montages that are edited to not include even a glimpse of Stiles or Kira, and it felt pointed and hollow.

What this means is that the canon — which contains the facts of the world — has to be changed along with the lore. With the Nogitsune back, now we have Oni, who can spare you and take you to the Upside Down, or what is essentially Vecna’s the Nogitsune’s interdimensional lair. 

It also means a nonsensical timeline and characters with little background or development. For example, the question of Eli’s mother exists because nothing in canon supports Derek having a child at the time in question. And as enjoyable as Eli is, his lack of backstory is extremely noticeable. As a movie that is a continuation of Teen Wolf the series, Teen Wolf: The Movie falters. As an AU, or story that is held in an alternate yet parallel universe, however, it actually works. It does ask you to start with a blank slate, while also having base level information about the characters. It’s like a really well-written fanfic by someone who has seen the show via clips on YouTube.

Teen Wolf was at its best when it was high camp. It was a story of a young boy who gets bitten by a werewolf and still tries to cling to his humanity.  We laughed with Scott, we cried with him, and Posey’s charisma and chemistry with Dylan O’Brien was one of the things that kept us coming back for more. Teen Wolf is at its worst when it forgets this levity and demands to be taken seriously. It’s mixed messaging that has caused trouble as the show attempted to cover its own flaws. On one hand it was creative genius like we’d never seen before, and on the other it was a silly show about werewolves. Showrunner Jeff Davis is great at one- or two-hour bursts but sustained canon doesn’t suit him, which may be why the series often fumbled. The movie nails it. 

This is accomplished in part by the actors who fell into three different categories: those who knew exactly what movie they were in, those who didn’t, and those who were just happy to be there. In the first category were Colton Haynes and Shelley Hennig. Both were thoroughly enjoyable and had a devil-may-care attitude that often cut the melodramatic tension. There’s a special cameo by Orny Adams as coach and a super secret one that I won’t spoil that adds to this category, and they bring some of the best moments of the film. 

The second category consists of JR Bourne and Ian Bohen who were wildly unaware (or maybe acutely aware?) of what movie they were in and were overly melodramatic. Bourne delivers unparalleled intensity and offers a masterclass in whisper screaming. Bohen has created a Peter that indeed has been angry for the last 15 years but has also run out of things to be mad about. He’s ready to pounce and to bite. Add in Seth Gilliam’s Deaton, and you have a trio who are playing to the rafters— and they’re great. These performances were glorious camp in a way that was daring, genius and a nod to the fans. 

The final category consists of Crystal Reed, Tyler Posey, and Holland Roden. They were all serviceable in their roles, and Reed especially offers great physicality while Roden carries a lot of emotional weight. All three approached their roles with sincerity and passion that showed through their performances. Adding to this category are Vince Mattis, whose Eli acts as our Stiles surrogate, and Tyler Hoechlin, who was basically Superman but as a single-dad werewolf,  and it worked. 

I do suggest watching the movie, especially in a group. It’s a bit long and still seemed to be paced with commercial breaks, but overall it was fun. But it would be best watched as a standalone story without having to worry about the canon of Teen Wolf the series. So whip up some wolfsbane cocktails, wash off your rowan cheese board and get ready to warm up Roscoe and roll back into Beacon Hills. 

You can catch up on the series on Paramount+, and Teen Wolf: The Movie premieres on Paramount+, Thursday, January 26, 2023.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/sundance-2023-review-young-wild-free-is-a-journey-of-living-dangerously-in-love/

Brandon (Algee Smith) is having a hard time with adolescence. His single mother Janice (Sanaa Lathan) is on the verge of eviction and is in an unhealthy relationship with her children’s father Lamont (Mike Epps). Brandon also was let go from his job and is having a bit of a hard time in school. 

At home he’s forced to take care of his two younger siblings when his mother is absent and steers them clear away from their father who Brandon knows is a bad influence. It’s not the life a teen should endure, but one fateful day inside of a convenience store, all of that changes when Brandon meets Cassidy (Sierra Capri) who robs both Brandon and the store owner at gunpoint.

Mid-robbery, Cassidy looks over at Brandon and, along with a manipulative glance, kisses him on the lips and leaves the store. While both Brandon and the store owner are unharmed, that day will forever change the trajectory of Brandon’s story and carve out a new path for his journey on this weird trip called life that he’s been struggling with lately.

What we learn from meeting Cassidy is exactly what the title of this film illustrates — that she’s young, wild, and free. This free spirit opens Brandon to a world filled with no inhibitions — a world where you can be who you are and not think about the consequences. While living a life with no scruples may seem enticing and liberating, the results of these actions can lead to some dangerous repercussions.

Actor Sanaa Lathan, whose incredible performance this past year in On the Come Up was criminally ignored, once again pulls an extraordinary depiction of a single parent in low-income housing struggling to keep her family intact. Hopefully, her performance here will get some attention, as Lathan has impeccable range as a performer and can flawlessly perform in any genre. 

However, the film doesn’t come without its shortcomings. Now I didn’t find many, but one particular character had a movie flaw that was just plain annoying. Cassidy is cute, fun, and quirky. However, the incessant movie references she delivers throughout the film were pointless. She speaks through movie metaphors, which unfortunately comes off a bit too cliché for my taste as this has become a bit of an overused trope in cinema. Using a film protagonist to reference a movie quote, whether it’s a tool used for nostalgic purposes or it’s the writer letting their movie geek flag wave a little too high, feels a bit overdone in my opinion. This was my one gripe with her character as I just felt it was an unwarranted component to her idiosyncratic personality. As the plot evolves, it doesn’t benefit the character as to why she’s developed this way, but I digress. 

That being said, what I did find remarkable about this story and its narrative is how Brandon and Cassidy’s relationship is formed. The synergy between these two makes sense even if it’s a bit rough around the edges. Here’s how this makes sense: Cassidy is feeling validated by giving Brandon the freedom that he is seeking and Brandon feels empowered and in control of his life for once. And even though what Cassidy teaches him breaks the boundaries of ethics in various situations she pushes him into, it doesn’t matter to Brandon because he’s finally fulfilled. His hunger is satiated and he’s no longer struggling … to some extent anyway.

However, all good things do eventually come to an end.

Known for writing a number of shorts, director Thembi L. Banks makes her directorial feature debut at Sundance with Young. Wild. Free. The writer/director’s most notable work is on the HBO series Insecure as a director and as a writer on the hit Emmy-nominated series Only Murders in the Building where she’s also credited as a producer. 

The coming-of-age story of Young. Wild. Free. isn’t Banks’ first rodeo as a writer/director touching on teens dealing with an identity crisis. In her short film Suitable, which streamed on HBO as part of a list of short film awards finalists, the story featured a high school tomboy who comes to terms with her sexuality when she decides what she’ll wear to the prom. A fun fact about another film among this list of short film awards finalists — the short Emergency, directed by Carey Williams — inevitably turned into a feature length film that also premiered at Sundance in 2022.  

The beautifully crafted story of Young. Wild. Free. takes you on an incredible journey and veers you off-course to an unexpected plot twist that you won’t see coming. 

Young. Wild. Free. is written by Thembi L. Banks and Juel Taylor (Creed II), from a story by Taylor and his They Cloned Tyrone co-writer Tony Rettenmaier. The film is produced by Macro Film Studios’ Charles D. King, James Lopez and Poppy Hanks, Confluential Films’ Tommy Oliver and No Label Productions’ Baron Davis. Sanaa Lathan is also an executive producer on the project. 

The film premiered January 22 at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and will be playing through the rest of the festival, which ends January 29.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/sundance-2023-review-adura-onashiles-girl-explores-trauma-and-mother-daughter-relationships/

Writer-director Adura Onashile makes her feature directorial debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival with Girl, the story of a mother-daughter bond put to the test as the daughter feels more and more drawn to the outside world. Named a Screen Star of Tomorrow 2021, the British-Nigerian filmmaker is best known for the BAFTA Scotland-nominated short Expensive Shit, an adaptation of her 2016 play previously featured in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

Set in Onashile’s home of Glasgow, Scotland, the film tells the story of 24-year-old Black immigrant mother Grace (Déborah Lukumuena) and her 11-year-old daughter Ama (Le’Shantey Bonsu), who obsessively keep to themselves in their small apartment in a council estate. They have each other, but there’s still a sense that they’re both lonely separately.

Grace tells her daughter not to trust anyone or draw attention to herself, but Ama’s inherent curiosity leads her to break the rules. When she’s alone in the apartment, she spends her time by the window looking into apartments across the way, observing the different lives of the people she can’t connect with. 

Grace reluctantly lets Ama attend school, which visibly makes Grace anxious. Throughout the film, we see abstract flashbacks to when she was a young girl in another country. The only thing we know is that whatever happened was so traumatic that it still affects and dictates her life, resulting in her intense protection of her child. The fear and anxiety that she’s passed onto Ama are palpable in just about every scene. We’re not sure what the current threat is, but we simultaneously feel Grace’s panic and Ama’s confusion and frustration. 

At times, it seems like Grace doesn’t want the responsibility of being Ama’s mother, but her moments of anger stem from a deep love and desire to protect her at all costs. Despite the strict limitations she imposes, Grace creates a faraway fantasy for Ama, often recounting the fictional tale of the two finding each other. The story is repeated by both mother and daughter like a reminder that even though things are bleak now, their origins sprung from a magical place. Onashile told Screen Daily that she always wanted to show “how beauty can exist in spite of fear and danger.” That juxtaposition creates a complex situation for a burgeoning 11-year-old to navigate. 

One bright spot in Girl is the innocent friendship between Ama and her neighbor/classmate Fiona (Liana Turner). Their joy shines through despite the mundane, sometimes sad surroundings, a less extreme version of the girls fleeing the tense situation at the motel and going to Disney World in The Florida Project. Meanwhile, Grace experiences frequent panic attacks that lead to outbursts directed at anyone trying to help her, such as Danny Sapani’s Samuel. 

Grace, played by French actress Déborah Lukumuena in her first English language role, is a complicated character riddled with flashing dark images of her past. She’s nearly agoraphobic, only feeling safe in their home even though it’s incredibly claustrophobic. The constant sound of outside voices that permeates the insular world of their apartment is suffocating. But after a while, it becomes the norm, and for Grace, the noise allows her to stay hidden among others. It could also remind her that the more people around them who could pose a threat, the more they’re ultimately unsafe. Still, she feels strength in anonymity.

Composer Ré Olunuga’s (Rise) music elevates the film’s hybrid tone of sorrow and whimsy. From the beginning, there’s a chorus of harmonizing voices playing over the sounds of everyday life. Coupling the music with the visual intimacy from cinematographer Tasha Back (Hunger), the film’s overall feel is haunting and atmospheric. Back uses close-ups to dig deeper into the mindset of the introverted characters, showing us the details they see in each other. Their skin is lit beautifully as well. During the day, it’s mostly natural light; all the colorful lights of the city illuminate nighttime, particularly the streets of Glasgow as Grace commutes to her overnight job. 

The small cast delivers powerful performances, especially Lukumuena and newcomer Le’Shantey Bonsu. Onashile’s extensive experience as a theater actress likely makes her an actor’s director. Given the heavy subject matter and closeness of the relationships, there’s a vulnerability that’s demanded of both characters. Those performances become most authentic through working with a compassionate, supportive director. 

Girl is a coming-of-age drama about the life-altering effects of one person’s trauma and the difficulty in keeping it from infecting others. Adura Onashile favors the impressionistic over the explicit, leaving the audience to fill in the blanks. We’re given such little information about the looming threat perceived only by Grace that it makes us lean into every moment waiting for a big reveal. It creates a completely immersive, claustrophobic experience.

Girl has its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 22. The film was recently selected to open this year’s Glasgow Film Festival in March.