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Generally speaking, I've grown tired of undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category feels largely depleted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for some time. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out remarkably entertaining.

Superb Pacing and Character Growth

One of this movie's strongest assets is its superb pacing. It begins with a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted by a van plows into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking individual emerges and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense moment is immediately followed by a look back, allowing us to observe the family before the tragedy struck.

Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably caused a rift between the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted but socially awkward, and he loves playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family patriarch consists of Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and who seems focused on only two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is extremely tense.

Invested in the Conflict

I became so invested with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I nearly forgot this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of the film to showing us the identity of every relative represents, and how they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities enough to care about their fate—a rare feat for this style that often presents individuals just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, so it's a real surprise when things eventually deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening sequences from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy prior to making an abrupt shift toward "holy shit" territory. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in its world before it gets upended.

Original Infection Source

This movie additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the film devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a deadly elixir which seems to include a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition has on humans proves utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics also appear very realistic, and they're practically certain to trigger one's trypophobia.

Resourceful Personalities

Even better than the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, there are some examples of dubious choices (as in typical undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object they find instead of standing still like a deer in headlights while danger approaches.

Realistic Family Strike

The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict once individuals start turning into zombies, this proved a pleasantly authentic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope frequently used in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close location. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This makes the moments where these individuals express gratitude for each other feel much more sincere.

Stereotypical Ending

Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight about family or society, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. But they're successful scares, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result is an engaging and enjoyable