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For the most part, I've had my fill of undead films. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre seems largely exhausted at this point. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for months. However, Netflix's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated and proved quite enjoyable.

Superb Pacing and Character Development

Among this movie's strongest strengths is its superb rhythm. It kicks off using a striking opening sequence in which a peaceful family gathering is violently interrupted when a van plows right into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger stumbles out proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to see this household before the tragedy struck.

Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly gives the audience enough opportunity to get to know the primary personalities prior to the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably led to a falling out between the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. The family head consists of her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about just two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves incredibly strained.

Invested in the Conflict

I became so invested with this household's issues along with their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a drawback, yet ultimately paid off. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they contribute to the overall turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting traits enabled me to connect to the personalities enough to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often introduces characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to consume, so it's a real shock once events finally go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening sequences of the party and various family interactions in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy prior to taking a sudden shift into "holy shit" territory. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides enough time to settle into its world before everything gets upended.

Unique Zombification Origin

This movie additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. While some background is provided a bit about how it started, I wish the film devoted a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal potion that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Despite the lack of background, the effect this condition produces on humans is utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a bold choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also very convincing, and are practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.

Resourceful Characters

More impressive than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of dubious choices (as in typical undead film), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument is available rather than freezing like a deer caught in lights as death nears.

Realistic Familial Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes 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 you almost died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a close spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem authentic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This causes those instances when these characters do show appreciation toward one another feel much more genuine.

Stereotypical Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight about family or society, as well. Instead, it's mostly delivering scares. Yet these are effective frights, and since the film gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome is an engaging and enjoyable