🔗 Share this article

For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels mostly depleted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations turning out quite entertaining.

Impressive Rhythm and Personal Development

One of this movie's greatest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking opening sequence where a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly interrupted when a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This dramatic moment is then succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to see the family before the tragedy occurred.

Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know its main characters before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has understandably caused a rift among Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and who enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on her. The family patriarch consists of her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about only two things: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves extremely tense.

Engaged in the Drama

I became so engrossed with this household's issues and their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot this was a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of the film to showing us who each relative represents, and how they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities allowed the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—a rare feat in a genre which frequently presents individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, so it's a genuine shock once events eventually deteriorate.

Reminiscent of Parasite

The initial scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama with slightly dark humor before making a sudden shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes aren't centered as much on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to it gets upended.

Unique Zombification Origin

The film also offers a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of a unintended lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the cause for this infectious condition stems from a new batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, I wish the movie devoted additional focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the effect this affliction has on people is utterly repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and are practically certain to provoke a fear of holes.

Resourceful Personalities

Even better than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of questionable decision-making (like any any good zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with the nearest heavy object is available rather than standing still like a deer in headlights while danger nears.

Believable Family Strike

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope frequently used in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they decide over the phone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This causes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude for each other feel much more sincere.

Stereotypical Ending

Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight about family or society, as well. Rather, it's primarily serving up frights. Yet these are successful frights, and since the movie gives each character enough room to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and enjoyable