Typically, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre feels mostly exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated and proved quite enjoyable.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Development
Among the film's strongest assets lies in the superb rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable initial scene where a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a van crashes into the seating section. Out of the van, a very zombie-like stranger emerges and begins assaulting the attendees. This dramatic scene is immediately succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see this household prior to the tragedy struck.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly gives the audience sufficient time to get to know the primary personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former best friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably caused a rift among Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on Nes. This household head consists of her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and he seems focused on only two things: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion is extremely strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I almost forgot this was a scary movie—which might sound like a drawback, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every relative represents, and how they contribute to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed me to connect to the personalities enough to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often presents characters only to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, so it's a real shock once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening sequences from the gathering and various family interactions in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a Korean drama with somewhat morbid humor before taking an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments aren't centered as much on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides enough opportunity to immerse in its world before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Source
This movie additionally presents a quite interesting reason for the source of the contagious zombification. Instead of an accidental lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the source for this infectious condition stems from a new batch from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although we do learn something regarding how it started, I wish the film devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of natural treatments to producing a deadly elixir which seems to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition produces on people proves absolutely disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and are almost guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, we see some examples of dubious choices (like any any good undead film), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to strike an undead in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest heavy object they find rather than standing still like a deer in headlights while danger nears.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, this proved a pleasantly realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope frequently used in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes loves her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they decide over the phone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to promote the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude for each other seem far more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound message regarding relatives or society, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering frights. Yet these are effective frights, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
