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For the most part, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre seems mostly depleted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.

Excellent Rhythm and Personal Growth

Among the film's strongest assets lies in the excellent rhythm. It kicks off using a striking initial scene in which a calm family party is violently disrupted by a vehicle crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the attendees. This intense moment is then followed by a look back, giving viewers to see the family before the tragedy struck.

Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough time to get to know its main characters prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has predictably caused a rift among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted but socially awkward, and who loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on her. The family patriarch consists of Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves incredibly tense.

Engaged in the Drama

I became so invested with this household's issues and their interpersonal drama to the point I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime depicting viewers who each family member represents, and how they contribute to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed me to relate with the characters enough to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon feat in a genre that often introduces characters only to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to devour, so it's a real surprise when things finally go wrong.

Reminiscent of Parasite

The opening sequences of the party and various family interactions actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a Korean drama featuring slightly dark comedy before making a sudden shift toward "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.

Unique Infection Origin

This movie additionally presents a fairly interesting explanation for the source of the spreading transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. Although we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the movie had spent a little more time explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion which seems to include a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the lack of context, the effect this condition produces on humans proves utterly disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also very convincing, and are practically guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.

Capable Personalities

Even better compared to the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see some instances of dubious choices (as in typical zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like a deer in headlights as death approaches.

Realistic Family Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict when people start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to push the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This causes those instances when these characters express gratitude for each other feel much more genuine.

Stereotypical Conclusion

Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep message about family or society, either. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are successful scares, and because the film allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and entertaining