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For the most part, I'm over zombie movies. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for months. However, Netflix's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated and proved remarkably enjoyable.

Impressive Rhythm and Character Growth

Among this movie's strongest assets is its superb pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene where a peaceful family party gets suddenly disrupted by a vehicle plows into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking individual emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This dramatic moment is then followed by a flashback, giving viewers to observe this household prior to the disaster struck.

Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly gives the audience enough time to become acquainted with its main personalities before the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably caused a rift among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and who enjoys playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. This household patriarch is her dad, the owner of a popular herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and he appears focused on only two aspects: his work and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves extremely tense.

Engaged in the Drama

I became so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts that I almost overlooked this was a horror film—which might seem like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant amount of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every relative is, and how they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing traits enabled me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre which frequently presents individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, thus it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial scenes of the party and various family interactions in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama featuring slightly dark humor before making a sudden turn into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough opportunity to immerse in its world prior to it gets upended.

Original Infection Source

The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a new sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. Although we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the film devoted additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of natural treatments to producing a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited background, the impact this affliction produces on people is utterly disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also very convincing, and they're practically certain to provoke one's trypophobia.

Resourceful Characters

Even better than the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few instances of questionable decision-making (as in any good zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to strike 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 standing still like prey caught in lights as death nears.

Believable Family Strike

The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict once individuals start turning to the undead, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for everything! cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they decide over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel realistic and understandable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This causes the moments where these individuals do show appreciation for each other seem much more genuine.

Predictable Ending

Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound insight about family or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. But they're effective frights, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and entertaining