Typically, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems largely exhausted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations turning out remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Character Growth
Among this movie's greatest assets lies in the superb pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family party is violently interrupted when a vehicle plows right into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger emerges and begins attacking the attendees. This dramatic scene is then followed by a look back, allowing us to observe this household prior to the disaster occurred.
Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir truly gives viewers enough time to get to know the primary personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a falling out between the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on Nes. The family patriarch consists of Nes' father, the owner of a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who seems to care about only two aspects: his business and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion is incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I became so engrossed with this household's issues along with their interpersonal drama to the point I almost overlooked this was a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film to showing us who each family member is, plus the ways they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits allowed the audience to connect with the characters sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon feat in a genre that often presents characters just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a real shock once events finally go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and various family interactions in fact evoke the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark humor before taking a sudden turn into "holy shit" ground. These early moments aren't centered as much on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still provides enough time to settle into its world prior to it gets upended.
Unique Infection Source
The film additionally presents a quite intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source for this infectious condition originates in a recent batch from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. Although some background is provided a bit about its origins, I wish the movie had spent a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the effect this condition produces on humans proves utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and they're almost certain to trigger one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few examples of dubious choices (as in any good undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick an undead in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like a deer caught in lights while danger nears.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals start turning to the undead, this proved a welcome realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters express appreciation toward one another feel much more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound message about family or community, as well. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're effective frights, and because the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and entertaining
