The streaming giant's Startling Latest Undead Film Injects New Life into a Overused Style

Generally speaking, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, the genre feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved remarkably enjoyable.

Excellent Pacing and Personal Development

One of this movie's greatest assets lies in the superb rhythm. It kicks off using a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted when a van plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking individual stumbles out and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense moment is immediately followed by a look back, allowing us to observe the family before the disaster occurred.

Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main characters prior to the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. This has understandably caused a rift among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted but socially awkward, and he enjoys playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on her. This household head is her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about just two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is extremely strained.

Invested in the Conflict

I found myself so invested in the household's issues and their personal conflicts that I almost overlooked I was watching a horror film—which might sound like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable portion of the film depicting us who each relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on clashing traits enabled the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—a rare feat for this style that often presents characters only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to consume, thus it's a genuine surprise when things eventually deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial scenes of the party and the multiple household exchanges actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor prior to making a sudden turn into shocking territory. These early moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to immerse in its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.

Unique Zombification Origin

The film also offers a quite intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease 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 had spent a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the lack of background, the impact this affliction produces on people proves absolutely repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a bold choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and are almost certain to trigger a fear of holes.

Resourceful Characters

Even better compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of dubious choices (as in typical undead film), but generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like prey caught in lights as death approaches.

Believable Family Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord once individuals begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration on her brother that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals do show appreciation for each other seem far more genuine.

Stereotypical Ending

Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight about family or society, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up frights. But they're successful frights, and since the film allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and enjoyable