For the most part, I've grown tired of apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels largely depleted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Development
One of the film's greatest assets is its excellent pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted when a vehicle plows right into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This dramatic scene is then succeeded by a flashback, giving viewers to see this household before the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient time to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a falling out between the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and he enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family head consists of Nes' father, the owner of a well-known herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and he appears focused on only two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I became so invested in the household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I nearly forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a drawback, but ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime to showing us who each family member represents, plus the ways they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat in a genre which frequently presents individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to devour, thus it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and various family interactions actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama with slightly dark humor before making an abrupt shift into shocking ground. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to settle into its world before everything gets upended.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Rather than a unintended lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the cause of this contagious disease originates in a new batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. Although some background is provided something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more time explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to producing a lethal potion which seems to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited background, the effect this condition has on people is utterly disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also quite realistic, and are practically certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive compared to the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of questionable decision-making (like any any good undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her family are resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument they find instead of standing still like prey caught in lights as death approaches.
Believable Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict once individuals start turning into zombies, this proved a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "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. Obviously, Nes loves her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she remains clinging to resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to promote the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This causes the moments where these individuals do show appreciation toward one another seem far more sincere.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound message regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're effective frights, and since the movie gives each character sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and entertaining
