Heartwarming / Love and Monsters

• Even if his fellow colony members doubt Joel's survival skills, they legitimately care about him. When he announces his plan to leave, they try to talk him out of it, but ultimately don't force him to stay.
  • One of them gives him a map. While it is not very helpful, it turns out to be a farewell card, signed by everyone (including Gertie the Cow).
  • They even give Aimee a heads up that Joel is headed to her colony.
  • When Joel reaches Aimee's colony, he radios his colony members. They are ecstatic to hear from him and excitedly ask him about his experiences.
  • Joel returns to his colony and is warmly greeted by the other members.
• After Boy saves Joel from the Frog Monster, he allows the latter to stay in his bus. When Joel leaves the next morning, Boy tags along.
• In the last scene of the movie, Clyde and Minnow are in the mountains. Clyde theorizes that the Snow Spiders will kill Joel, but Minnow suggests that he will be fine. Clyde responds with "probably", showing that deep down, even he has faith in Joel's skills.
• Even though Aimee has moved on, she is happy to see Joel. In fact, when she learns that Joel is coming for her, she actually leaves her colony to find him.
  • Aimee turns down Joel because she needs to take care of her colony, and Joel's colony also needs him. The fact that both of them depart on good terms and that both colonies are headed for the same place implies that Joel and Aimee could rekindle their relationship when they meet again.
• Joel's interactions with MAV1S. The latter helps him communicate with Aimee mid trip and allows him to emulate a final conversation with his mother. The former helps her fulfill her final wish to see the outdoors, and buries her after her battery gives out.
• In a movie about a world after a monster-apocalypse, there is something sweet in discovering that not all the mutated creatures are hostile. This comes into play in the climax, when Joel remembers Minnow's words and understands that the crab is actually a nice creature forced to obey through torture, and opts to free it rather than kill it.
• Joel saving Boy from the centipede monster. As the creature is preparing to crush the dog, Joel has a flashback to the moment his parents were killed in front of him. Vowing never to let it happen again, he takes out his crossbow and shoots the monster. This is the first time he kills one, and he does it out of love, happily embracing Boy and telling him how happy he is that the dog's okay.