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Typically, I'm over zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.

Impressive Pacing and Personal Growth

One of the film's greatest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene where a peaceful family party is violently disrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like individual emerges and begins attacking the attendees. This intense scene is then followed by a look back, allowing us to see this household prior to the tragedy struck.

Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough time to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose former best friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has predictably caused a rift between the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two things: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves incredibly tense.

Invested in the Drama

I became so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, yet in the end paid off. The Elixir dedicates a considerable portion of its runtime to showing us who each family member represents, and how they add to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting personalities allowed the audience to connect with the characters sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—a rare accomplishment for this style which frequently introduces characters just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to consume, so it's a real surprise once events finally go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial scenes of the party and various family interactions actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to making an abrupt turn into "holy shit" ground. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir still provides enough opportunity to immerse in its world before it gets upended.

Unique Infection Origin

The film also offers a quite interesting reason for the source of the spreading zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the cause for this infectious condition originates in a recent batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more time explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of natural treatments to producing a deadly potion which seems to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the lack of context, the effect this condition produces on people proves absolutely repulsive, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite convincing, and are practically certain to provoke a fear of holes.

Resourceful Personalities

More impressive compared to the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see a few examples of dubious choices (as in any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to kick an undead in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with the nearest heavy object they find instead of freezing like a deer in headlights while danger nears.

Realistic Familial Strike

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming into zombies, which was 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 often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, 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 agree over the phone to regroup at a nearby location. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This causes those instances when these characters do show appreciation toward one another seem much more sincere.

Predictable Ending

In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep message about family or society, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up frights. Yet these are successful frights, and because the movie allows every personality enough room to develop and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the result is an engaging and entertaining