Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category seems largely depleted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Character Growth
One of this movie's strongest assets is its excellent pacing. It begins using a striking opening sequence in which a calm family party gets suddenly interrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins assaulting the partygoers. This dramatic moment is immediately followed by a flashback, giving viewers to observe the family prior to the disaster struck.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient time to become acquainted with the primary personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has understandably caused a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and who loves playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to her. The family head consists of Nes' father, the owner of a popular herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two aspects: his business and his wife to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so invested with this family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I almost forgot this was a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, yet in the end paid off. The Elixir dedicates a considerable portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each relative represents, and how they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on clashing traits allowed the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat for this style which frequently introduces individuals just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, thus it's a real shock once events finally go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and various family interactions actually bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama with somewhat morbid humor before making a sudden turn into "holy shit" territory. These introductory scenes aren't centered too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides enough opportunity to immerse in its world prior to everything gets upended.
Original Zombification Source
The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental lab leak or some sort of bioweapon, the cause of this contagious disease originates in a recent sample from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. While we do learn something regarding how it started, I wish the movie devoted a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir which seems to include a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the limited context, the effect this affliction has on people is utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and they're almost certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of questionable choices (as in any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives are resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument they find rather than freezing like a deer in headlights as death nears.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a pleasantly realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for everything! cliché often seen in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude for each other seem far more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight about family or society, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are effective scares, and since the film allows every personality enough room to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result proves a captivating and enjoyable
