The streaming giant's Surprising Latest Undead Flick Injects Fresh Air into a Overused Style

For the most part, I've had my fill of undead films. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels largely depleted at this point. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.

Superb Pacing and Character Development

One of this movie's strongest assets is its superb rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle crashes right into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This dramatic scene is immediately followed by a look back, giving viewers to observe the family before the disaster struck.

Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary personalities before the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. This has predictably led to a falling out between the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to her. This household head is Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who seems to care about only two aspects: his business and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is incredibly tense.

Invested in the Conflict

I found myself so invested in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I nearly overlooked this was a horror film—which might seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of its runtime to showing us who each family member is, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities allowed me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—a rare feat for this style that often presents individuals only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to devour, thus it's a real surprise once events eventually deteriorate.

Reminiscent of Parasite

The opening sequences of the party and the multiple family interactions in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor prior to taking an abrupt shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough time to settle into its world before everything gets turned upside down.

Unique Zombification Source

This movie additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Rather than a unintended lab leak or a type of biological weapon, the source of this contagious disease stems from a new batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. Although some background is provided something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the film had spent a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the impact this condition produces on people proves utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies are quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics are also very convincing, and are almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.

Resourceful Personalities

More impressive compared to the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of dubious decision-making (as in typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also aren't afraid to kick an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument is available rather than freezing like prey in headlights as death approaches.

Believable Familial Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus on family conflict once individuals start turning to the undead, which was a welcome authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still holding onto bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide over the phone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been building for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her family—flawed as it is—feel realistic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This makes the moments where these individuals express gratitude for each other feel far more sincere.

Stereotypical Ending

Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep message about family or society, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are effective frights, and because the film gives each character enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves a captivating and enjoyable