10 Horror Movies Like The Elixir You Must See

Directed by Kimo Stamboel, Netflix’s ‘The Elixir’ tells the story of a family running a herbal remedies company in a remote village in Indonesia. While experimenting with formulas, they come up with a solution that is said to be an elixir for prolonged life. Before the drug can go through clinical trials and be certified, the family head/CEO of the company tests it on himself. Initially, it works as intended and considerably de-ages him. However, the side effect soon surfaces, and the man is transformed into a zombie. This marks the beginning of the zombie outbreak in the village, and people begin to fight for their survival. Originally titled ‘Abadi Nan Jaya,’ the survival horror thriller brings the undead to a localised setting. If the narrative has caught your interest, here is a list of movies similar to ‘The Elixir’ that you can consider streaming next.

10. The Girl with All the Gifts (2017)

Based on the eponymous novel by Mike Carey, ‘The Girl with All the Gifts’ is set in the near future, where a parasitic virus has turned most human beings into flesh-eating zombies. To search for a cure, a small group of carrier but asymptomatic children is kept in an army base camp, where lead researcher Caroline Caldwell (Glenn Close) does her experiments, and educator Caroline Caldwell teaches the kids. They come across a girl, Melanie (Sennia Nanua), who is seemingly immune to the virus, and they do their best to keep her safe for the sake of humanity. Similar to ‘The Elixir,’ the film directed by Colm McCarthy revolves around individuals who are desperately looking for a cure to undo a zombie apocalypse.

9. Ravenous (2017)

Originally titled ‘Les affamés,’ the Robin Aubert directorial follows a group of zombie apocalypse survivors in rural Quebec. As they wander around in search of safety, they come across each other and band together to better their odds. Soon, they get to know of a horde of the undead coming towards the shelter, and prepare for a last stand. Much like ‘The Elixir,’ the scale of ‘Ravenous’ is small, focusing on characters trying their best to deal with a situation beyond their control. Both stories also speak of the courage of individuals in standing their ground and fighting back against those infected.

8. #Alive (2020)

Helmed by Cho Il-hyung, ‘#Alive’ focuses on a young man who finds himself trapped inside his home while the world outside gets overrun by zombies. When the outbreak of the undead first takes place, Oh Joon-woo (Yoo Ah-in) shuts his door and stays inside for days, surviving on the necessities that have been present in the house. Fending off attacks by zombies all the time, he ultimately runs out of resources and faces the danger of starving to death. However, not being prepared to give up, Joon-woo decides to leave his room and face the zombies head-on, trying his luck for survival. Similar to the survivors in ‘The Elixir,’ he finds the courage within himself to stand up and fight against the undead.

7. The Sadness (2021)

‘The Sadness,’ originally titled ‘Ku bei,’ provides a fresh take on the idea and origin of zombies, inspired by the comics ‘Crossed’ by Garth Ennis. Set in the city of Taipei, it chronicles a sudden chaos that erupts as people under the influence of a virus lose any semblance of control over themselves and start brutally killing each other. The widespread violence causes panic and plunges the area into more darkness. Amid the chaos, a young couple, Jim (Berant Zhu) and Kat (Regina Lei), try their best to navigate through the city without succumbing to the virus themselves. Like ‘The Elixir,’ the Rob Jabbaz directorial focuses on the struggle of the individuals as people all around them fall prey to a mysterious disease.

6. Zombieland (2009)

Marking the directorial debut of Ruben Fleischer, ‘Zombieland’ chronicles the early days of a worldwide zombie apocalypse. Within two months, civilization is on the brink of collapse as everyone is busy trying to fight the undead. In the US, four survivors, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), find each other on their way to Los Angeles, in search of a rumored safe haven. However, the road is littered with zombie in between, and they attempt to eliminate as many as possible before reaching their destination. The film has the group putting up a brave fight against the horde of undead while having each other’s backs, similar to the survivors in ‘The Elixir.’

5. Pontypool (2009)

Based on Tony Burgess’ book ‘Pontypool Changes Everything’ and directed by Bruce McDonald, ‘Pontypool’ is set in the titular small town where radio announcer Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) arrives at work and hears a news report of people showcasing cannibalistic behavior. Stunned, Grant and his team verify the news and attempt to warn their listeners of the zombie outbreak. However, things get progressively worse as they learn that the disease that is turning people into monsters is being transmitted via the English language. Like ‘The Elixir,’ the movie provides an alternate and original source of a zombie outbreak, while focusing on the struggle of small-town individuals in their desperate bid to stay alive.

4. Undead (2003)

Directed by brothers Michael and Peter Spierig, ‘Undead’ is set in the small town of Berkeley, where a meteor shower turns the people exposed into zombies. A group of survivors congregates in the home of a paranoid gun collector and tries to make a collective stand. However, the lack of stored food and water forces them outside and to take their chances with the horde of the undead. Similar to ‘The Elixir,’ the film shares a new explanation of the zombie apocalypse, as well as highlights the resistance of a ragtag team against their imminent destruction.

3. Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Zack Snyder made his directorial debut with the zombie apocalypse film ‘Dawn of the Dead,’ a remake of George A. Romero’s 1978 film of the same name. The narrative revolves around a ragtag group of people seeking shelter from the undead, who come together at a shopping mall in Milwaukee. As hordes of zombies arrive, the group does its best to defend the place and themselves. However, being unable to trust each other with their lives weakens their position in the face of abject horror that seems to adapt to the challenges. Both ‘The Elixir’ and ‘Dawn of the Dead’ showcase survivors being forced to fight zombies after being backed into a corner.

2. Train to Busan (2016)

Helmed by Yeon Sang-ho, ‘Train to Busan’ centers around Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), who is seen travelling on the titular train with his daughter, Su-an (Kim Su-an). Without any warning, the train faces a zombie outbreak, with unwary passengers turning into the undead. The passengers yet to fall to the disease, which includes Seok-woo and Su-an, fight back against the horde, only to discover that the world outside has already fallen, and the approaching platforms are teeming with the undead. Much like ‘The Elixir,’ the film shows families sticking together in the face of grave danger, fighting zombies.

1. 28 Days Later (2003)

The Danny Boyle directorial ’28 Days Later’ chronicles the experience of bicycle courier Jim (Cillian Murphy), who collapses into a coma and wakes up in a London hospital 28 days into a zombie apocalypse. Jim finds that society has completely collapsed in the face of the undead hordes, who are extremely violent and are targeting those who are uninfected. As Jim makes his way through a deserted city, he comes across other survivors who are seeking shelter during the apocalypse. The outbreak originates in a laboratory, much like how it begins in ‘The Elixir.’ Both films go on to depict humans struggling to survive an onslaught of the undead.