The Last of Us actor Riley starred in one of the funniest movies of 2023

The last of us has had many episodes focused on supporting characters so far in its first season, which means many funny guest actors only appear for an hour each. This week’s episode focused on Ellie’s past and her friendship with a girl named Riley, which meant it was time for guest actor Storm Reid to shine.

In Reid’s hands, Riley is headstrong, capable, and smart, if a little impulsive and perhaps too quick to trust an organization she may not fully understand. Even more impressive for this episode is that Reid is able to bring a kind of quiet, beneath the surface vulnerability that helps us better understand her relationship with Ellie and see more clearly Riley going over her head, herself if she herself has just a glimpse of this truth. But this kind of multifaceted and interesting accomplishment comes as no surprise, as Reid has already had quite an exciting career that includes A wrinkle in time, The Invisible Man, euphoriaand even Missone of the best movies of 2023 so far.

Miss is a spiritual successor of 2018 Seek, but it’s not a direct sequel; it’s more like an anthology series. The film is about June (Reid) who discovers her mother has disappeared after vacationing in Colombia with her seedy new boyfriend. June springs into immediate action, doing everything she can to find her mother and uncover the larger conspiracy that may have led to her disappearance.

what does Miss is so unique that it takes place almost entirely within the confines of computer screens. Characters FaceTime, conversations are recorded by webcams, and June’s primary snooping method involves very precise Google searches and some great social media investigations.

Image: SonyPictures

The format lends a unique feel to the film’s mystery and completely flips the pacing you’d expect from a traditional thriller, but it also poses a difficult challenge for Reid, as almost all of her acting is done in voice-over or through an additional one screen is filtered. Showing just how compelling she can be as an actress, she’s adept at handling the challenge, whether it’s making a call to her mother’s questionably motivated lawyer or processing a ton of emotion via a mistakenly left open photo booth app.

Every bit of that curiosity and competence is evident during Reid’s time as Riley in The last of us Episode 7 too. Reid makes it easy to break through the maze of complications in Riley’s character, how she explored the mall in the beginning, why she joined the Fireflies, and why sharing that night with Ellie was so important to her and her too invited to participate, even if she couldn’t say it out loud or explain it herself. Reid gives the character a kind of supernatural confidence that belies both insecurity and competence, making her feel like a perfect match for Ellie’s smarter version of the same.

Saying much more about the movie or how good and funny Reid is in it would ruin some of its best twists, but it’s safe to say you enjoyed this week’s episode The last of us, Miss is a silly and fun mystery well worth your time.

Miss is currently in theaters and will likely be released on Netflix later this year.