The writer-director Alex Garland, known for his work on the groundbreaking zombie thriller 28 Days Later, has praised The Last of Us for its superior storytelling, admitting that the HBO series is “on another level” compared to his earlier work. Garland made the remarks during a recent interview, acknowledging the significant strides the post-apocalyptic genre has made over the past two decades. 28 Days Later, written by Garland and directed by Danny Boyle, introduced audiences to the concept of “rage-infected” humans, a brutal twist on the classic undead formula. Yet, despite the influence and success of 28 Days Later, Garland admits that The Last of Us has elevated the genre to unprecedented heights. In an interview with The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann for PlayStation’s latest Creator to Creator Podcast, Garland said:

“Let me say this: The Last of Us is better than 28 Days [Later]. The Last of Us is better than 28 Days, or at least the writing is. I’m not going to talk about directing, that would be a silly thing. So not that. I know what 28 Days is, I know what I did. I know what that process was. The thing about The Last of Us, I was like, “Oh, this is so much more sophisticated and moving.” It was moving. I’m not dissing 28 Days, I’m very proud of it. It’s a nice part of my life. But seriously, The Last of Us is on another level – so yeah, of course, I was influenced by it.“

The HBO adaptation of The Last of Us, created by Druckmann and Craig Mazin, has been lauded for being faithful to the source material, incorporating the same people responsible for the success of the game into the creative process, a decision which culminated in having the original creator take the helm. Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, the series is set 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, smuggles Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of the oppressive quarantine zone.

Watch Out For the Influence of ‘The Last Of Us’ on Garland’s Upcoming Work in ’28 Years Later’

28 Days Later’s plot is centered around a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma only to realize that a highly contagious virus that induces everyone to become hyper-aggressive has been causing the breakdown of society. Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) stars as the lead character alongside Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, and Brendan Gleeson. Since its successful release in 2002, 28 Days Later has been succeeded by 28 Weeks Later, which was released in 2007, with another sequel, 28 Years Later, set to be released in the summer.

It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Garland’s high praise and comment about being “influenced by The Last of Us” is regarding the soon-to-be-released 28 Years Later and the subsequent sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. It will be interesting to see how Garland’s acknowledgment of The Last of Us as a high watermark in the post-apocalyptic rubs off on his new work.

The Last of Us Season 2 premieres on HBO on April 13, while 28 Years Later is slated to arrive in cinemas on June 20, 2025.

Source: GamesRadar+