Thriller Drama Analysis

The Last Of Us Poster Analysis – Thriller Drama

Half of the background is a black, stormy sky that blends into a grey cloud, with a tiny section of light seeping in a gap on the far-right centre of the poster. This immediately stimulates an air of darkness and misery, yet a little bit of hope. The slogan for this show is ’when you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light’, and the image of the contrasting sky perfectly resembles this; this slogan appears in small white lettering at the bottom of the poster, above the date and streaming service logo; it is strategically placed there so people understand the underlining message of the show when searching for its release and platform. In the centre of the background there are dystopian skyscrapers with massive chunks out of them and green plants growing over each one, implying the idea that civilisation has broken and nature is beginning to take over from the man-made structures – this creates an eerie, uncomfortable feeling, as the audience are eager to understand why the city has become abandoned, and what has happened to its everyday civilians. At the bottom of the background, we see more vegetation that adds a small contrast of green colour to the image, however it is still very dully toned, and therefore making us believe that there is little brightness or happiness in the setting of this show, even in nature. In the foreground of the lower centre third, we see the two main characters wearing dull, neutral-toned clothes fit for a classic ’apocalypse survivor’, with filled backpacks – this suggests that they are going on a journey. Pedro Pascal looks left beyond the camera, implying that he is watching someone/something behind the camera, creating intrigue, or is even inviting the audience to join the pair on their journey. Bella Ramsey has the same pose as Pascal, but in the opposite direction, creating a binary opposition, suggesting these characters have definitive differences, and are highlighting these, particularly in their age and gender. Typically, on a thriller/horror poster, we would see a women pictured in little clothing, looking very vulnerable, however costuming Ramsey the same way as Pascal suggests that they are perhaps equals, subverting the stereotypes of Gauntlett’s gender theory. At the top of the poster, there is small white lettering which explains who the show is created by, and how they are successful, so audiences would know that this will be a well-made, triumphant show. One of the creators of the series made the video game it is based on, meaning that there is a pre-sold audience with a fandom – this poster even mimics one of the video game posters, appealing to these fans who are eager to see how true to the game the series is. The title text is in the bold white capitalised font of the game, with transparent splatters of blood, alluding to the gore aspect of the show. Dark, earthy tones are prioritised in the image, suggesting that this show takes place outdoors, (applying to the apocalyptic fan audience) and that nature is perhaps the villain/antagonist, as there is no other implication of one, causing intrigue within the audience as to what is truly the evil force of this thriller. The primary target audience are male adults 25-40 who are fans of the game, or the horror genre, as it is clear that the show involves gore/scary elements. The secondary target audience are teenage girls (14-22) who feel represented/inspired by the strong young female character in the main image.