The Last of Us depicts murder and cannibalism, but women with bad hair? That’s a no-go
HBO’s zombie drama The Last of Us unfolds in a pretty grisly place.
Characters must navigate a post-apocalyptic wasteland while eluding horrifying creatures and witnessing various displays of militia torture, cannibalism and murder-via-golf-club (shudder) – and they do it all while maintaining salon-quality hair.
Isabela Merced’s perfectly coiffed character Dina in The Last of Us. Credit: HBO
Last week, fans took to social media to highlight Isabela Merced’s character Dina and her face-framing curls and shiny curtain bangs – a noticeable departure from her video game counterpart’s practical ponytail or bun.
It remains unclear if Dina managed to find a coveted Dyson Airwrap buried in the snow or ransacked an old pharmacy for some quality hairspray and conditioner.
Perhaps the show’s creators are just adhering to beauty standards and the sex-appeal stereotype that female action stars must always have their hair down.
Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow was forever sweeping her auburn locks out of her face in Iron Man 2, while Gal Gadot’s tousled waves in Wonder Woman never seemed to impede her fighting. While we ponder these important cinematic questions, we’ve rounded up the top mismatched or unrealistic hairstyles and makeup choices in dystopian film.
The Hunger Games
Protagonist Katniss Everdeen weathers multiple storms, gunfire blasts, wasp attacks and explosions in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian trilogy, however her iconic side-swept French braid remains pretty perfect.
Occasionally, some artfully placed tendrils tumble away from the braid (to frame her face, of course), but the audience never sees Katniss redo her braid during the perils of the arena.
A tendril of hair dances on her forehead as Jennifer Lawrence takes aim as Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games.
On a positive note, the film gets credit for having the character’s hair up and away from her face.
The 100
This young adult television series follows a group of juvenile survivors who return to Earth nearly a century after a nuclear apocalypse.
The scorching disaster wiped out nearly all of humanity, but apparently managed to spare beauticians, nail technicians and hairdressers.
Characters don bleached fishtail braids and balayage Dutch braids that would rival a Targaryen’s wig from Game of Thrones, alongside heavy eye makeup and mascara. The elaborate hairstyles have even inspired tutorials on TikTok and YouTube. If an unexpected apocalypse happens in 2025, let’s hope the beauty influencers stay safe.
The Walking Dead
Female characters are often the target of unrealistic makeup and hairstyle choices; however, men haven’t escaped either.
Enter post-apocalyptic comic book series The Walking Dead, where survivors struggle to stay alive, forage for food, but also prioritise perfectly manicured beards.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan sports a groomed beard as Negan in The Walking Dead.Credit: AMC
When protagonist Rick Grimes wakes from his coma in season 1, he’s understandably confused and frightened, but he’s thankfully sporting beautifully trimmed facial hair. The hair magic continues for 10 more seasons. While food shortages are common in end-of-the-world scenarios, beard trimmers and razors remain pretty easy to find.
Female body hair in every single dystopian film … ever
Seeing body hair on a woman in contemporary television or cinema is unfortunately still a rarity, but when the Earth is depleted of resources, surely it makes sense to show a little peach fuzz?
Heroines can overthrow corrupt governments, as Shailene Woodley does in Divergent, or outrun tsunamis like Chloe Grace Moretz in The 5th Wave, but they must do so without any armpit or leg hair and with perfectly shaped eyebrows.
However, recent films may show a glimmer of change in the industry. Aimee Lou Wood’s natural teeth were heralded in season three of The White Lotus, Amy Adams’ character in Nightbitch examines her chin hairs and Kate Winslet’s Mare of Easttown embraces her unplucked eyebrows and half-dyed hair.
Maybe a dystopian series with accurate hairstyles is on the horizon.
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