The Elixir

If there is one genre within the horror community that struggles coming up with new ideas it is without a doubt zombie horror films. I have seen so many different kinds of zombie releases over the years that it´s hard too remember certain films. The ones i usually don´t remember is because they look very similar to classic zombie films and have no bigger surprises to offer, but then we have films that actually manage to bring in something different to the story. It could be a completely different location, inside a very unique building or even inside an airplane up in the sky. Zombie films have really explored many different stories and sometimes you get a very unexpected surprise that proves this genre still have much to deliver. And that is exactly whay the South Korean zombie horror film Train To Busan did back in 2016, directed by Yeon Sang-ho ( who is also the director of the animated prequel Seoul Station ). What made Train To Busan such a effective horror film ( outside the brilliant acting performances from the cast ) was the set up of how to deal with a zombie outbreak on board a train. Now, if you love lots of blood and lots of zombies, let me tell you that this is definetely the film for you. Train To Busan manage to show respect to zombie classics from the past while adding some refreshing details that this genre needed. In some ways you could call this the zombie version of the 1995 action film Under Siege 2 - Dark Territory but without action star Steven Seagal, much better action scenes plus much better acting as well. Definetely worth picking up on physical media or rent this film on VOD unless it is streaming somewhere. Last year an Indonesian zombie horror film called The Elixir was released on Netflix which i discovered thanks to the YouTube movie reviewer Sinister Cinema Reviews. Since i am a fan of zombie films in general i thought this could be interesting to watch. Is this one of the horror films you should watch in early 2026 or is The Elixir nowhere near as good as i was hoping it would be?

A brand new herbal medicine that is just being tested is said to make you look younger, until the owner of one of the factories producing it tries it on himself. It may make him look younger for a short moment of time but it will actually transform him into an infected dead savage.

If you for any reason don´t like zombie horror films then i can tell you right now, you will not like this film at all. This is a very traditional zombie film in several ways, but what makes it stand out a little bit is that these zombies were infected by someone who used a new herbal medicine that is supposed to make you look younger. I think this is a good idea considering we don´t know what some medicines really contain out there, we may not get all the right information always. The fact that this herbal medicine causes a zombie invasion turns out to be effective into the plot of this film, especially surrounding a family fighting against each other. Now, when it comes to the zombies themselves i will say they do a pretty good job. They look creepy, you get to see them eat human flesh with practical effects ( quite gory scenes which i really appreciate ) they run really fast and how they react when is raining is interesting. I don´t think i have ever seen a zombie film where we see zombies standing in the rain like it makes them feel relaxed. The plot of The Elixir is pretty simple, this is basically a film that gives a clear message of how important it is to care for each other in your family, because you never know when the time comes when we have to say goodbye. The acting in general is actually pretty good and i especially like the screen chemistry between female actors Mikha Tambayong and Eva Celia as the characters Kenes and Karina, who used to be best friends. There are some well made horror scenes in this film where we get to see zombies attack from different locations and different buildings. If i have to mention something negative i would probably say this film could have used the herb medicine story more effectively, and digged deeper into it´s background. We do find out a little bit, but for some reason it feels like this part of the story wasn´t developed that much. In general i would say The Elixir is a well made horror zombie film and should please you if you enjoy this genre. Director Kimo Stamboel ( director of the 2009 Indonesian horror hit Macabre ) clearly knows what fans of this genre want and have made a good looking zombie film. If you just want a simple horror film on Netflix, this could be a great choice and The Elixir is without a doubt worth checking out.

Rating: DDD