Featured Image Credit: HBO.
Topics: News, Film and TV, Celebrity
Rachel Lang
Nico Parker has received praise from people around the world after the first episode of The Last of Us was finally released.
While loads of actors in the new HBO series were given shoutouts on social media, the 18-year-old who plays Sarah in this post-apocalyptic world certainly drummed up a lot of mentions.
Although Parker has only a handful of acting credits to her name, there is no doubt to her incredible skill and talent.
We won't give away any spoilers - it is seriously worth watching - so read on and consider this your heads-up that this is spoiler free.
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The Last of Us is based on the video game of the same name and documents the life of Sarah (Parker) and her father Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) as they navigate the zombie-infested landscape of America.
The story follows the father-daughter duo as they try to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) away from a quarantine zone.
It's raw, intense, heartbreaking, and impressive, with many fans taking to social media to praise Parker's skill at such a young age.
One Twitter user said: "All love for Nico Parker. I’m so amazed at her performance and her ability to capture such a heartbreaking moment in this story."
Another added: "She had me sobbing."
A third commented: "The nepo baby I WANT to see."
Parker is the daughter of British actor Thandie Newton, so it is clear that absolute talent runs in the family.
The story begins two decades before the video game that fans know and love.
Audiences get to see what life was like pre-apocalypse and things don’t stay lovely and happy for too long.
Sarah and Joel’s hometown descends into chaos and anarchy when the outbreak hits. They attempt to flee, and we’ll not give away any more.
What we will say is that there is a massive twist about 30 minutes in and it left viewers who are unfamiliar with the game stunned and crushed.
It wasn’t just the Average Joe singing Parker’s praises.
The much-anticipated HBO series set a new record with its Rotten Tomatoes score, achieving an incredible 98 per cent score.
And, fear not, if you don't play games, the series has even been recommended to non-gamers who have never played The Last of Us before.
ABC News' review reads: "Don’t worry if you’re not a gamer, this series—the best screen adaptation of a videogame ever—will hit you hard.
"Costars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey turn familiar elements into a triumph of ferocity and feeling."
Meanwhile, the Financial Times' review said: "The Last of Us balances cold terror with warm humanity."
And Parker brings a large quantity of that humanity to the table.
The 18-year-old rising star sat down with Deadline to chat about the pressure of taking on a beloved character such as Sarah.
"[Showrunners] Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Druckmann] and everyone were incredibly good at keeping the set away from that mounting pressure.”
"It's more like the internal, 'Oh my God, am I doing justice to this game? Am I doing justice to this character?' But I think it was just trying to separate the two,” she added.
The Last of Us is available on Sky and NOW in the UK, HBO in the US, and Binge in Australia.
New episodes arrive each Sunday evening at 9pm EST.