The streaming giant's Unexpected Latest Zombie Film Injects New Life into a Overused Category

Typically, I'm over undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems largely exhausted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for some time. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated and proved quite enjoyable.

Impressive Pacing and Character Growth

One of this movie's greatest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence in which a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle plows right into the seating section. Out of the van, a very undead-looking stranger stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense moment is immediately succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see the family before the disaster occurred.

In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir actually allows the audience enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main characters prior to the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose ex close friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably led to a falling out between Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he enjoys playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household head consists of Nes' father, who runs a popular herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and who appears focused on just two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is extremely strained.

Invested in the Conflict

I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost overlooked this was a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member represents, and how they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled the audience to connect to the personalities enough to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often presents characters just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a genuine shock once events eventually deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial sequences from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor before making an abrupt shift into shocking territory. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough opportunity to immerse in its world before it gets upended.

Unique Zombification Origin

The film also offers a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease originates in a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided something regarding its origins, I wish the film had spent additional time explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the impact this condition produces on humans is absolutely disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics are also quite convincing, and are practically certain to provoke one's trypophobia.

Resourceful Characters

More impressive compared to the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some instances of questionable choices (like any any good undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her family are resourceful and sharp. They also aren't afraid to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with whatever heavy object they find rather than standing still like prey caught in lights as death approaches.

Believable Familial Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord once individuals begin transforming to the undead, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes loves her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a close location. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to promote the notion that a near-death experience instantly cures familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters express appreciation for each other seem much more sincere.

Predictable Ending

Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight about family or community, as well. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're effective scares, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and entertaining