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Typically, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre feels mostly exhausted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated and proved remarkably entertaining.

Excellent Pacing and Personal Development

One of the film's greatest strengths is its superb pacing. It kicks off with a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted when a van plows into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking stranger emerges and begins assaulting the attendees. This dramatic scene is then followed by a look back, allowing us to observe this household prior to the disaster occurred.

Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly allows viewers sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured but a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household head consists of Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two things: his business and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly strained.

Invested in the Drama

I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues along with their interpersonal drama that I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—which might seem like a drawback, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime to showing us who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits allowed the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre that often introduces individuals just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock once events eventually go wrong.

Reminiscent of Parasite

The opening scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades like a Korean drama with somewhat morbid comedy prior to making an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless gives enough opportunity to settle into the setting before everything gets upended.

Unique Infection Origin

This movie also offers a quite interesting explanation regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental lab leak or a type of biological weapon, the source of this infectious condition stems from a recent batch from Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. Although we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie devoted additional focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a deadly elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited context, the impact this affliction produces on humans proves utterly disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a bold choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and are practically certain to trigger one's trypophobia.

Capable Characters

Even better compared to the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are some examples of dubious decision-making (like any typical undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with the nearest heavy object they find instead of standing still like a deer caught in lights as death approaches.

Believable Family Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming into zombies, this proved a pleasantly authentic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly forgive you for everything! trope frequently used in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to meet up at a close spot. However, once Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to push the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters express gratitude for each other seem far more genuine.

Stereotypical Conclusion

Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the film allows every personality enough room to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and entertaining