Typically, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems largely depleted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.
Impressive Pacing and Character Development
One of this movie's strongest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It begins with a striking opening sequence where a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted 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 immediately succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see this household prior to the tragedy struck.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities before the carnage ensues. There's Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a falling out among the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured but socially awkward, and who enjoys playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on Nes. This household head is her dad, who runs a popular herbal remedy company named Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is extremely tense.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot this was a scary movie—which might sound like a drawback, yet in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film depicting viewers the identity of every family member represents, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing personalities allowed me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare feat in a genre that often presents individuals only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening sequences of the party and various family interactions actually evoke the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid comedy before taking a sudden shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes aren't centered too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to it gets upended.
Original Infection Origin
This movie additionally presents a quite intriguing reason for the source of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this infectious condition originates in a new batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by her dad. While we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the film had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of natural treatments to creating a deadly potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the lack of context, the effect this affliction has on people proves utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a daring decision, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and they're practically certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive than the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see some examples of questionable decision-making (like any typical undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object they find rather than freezing like prey in headlights as death approaches.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes on family conflict once individuals start turning to the undead, this proved a welcome authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—feel realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to push the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters express appreciation toward one another seem far more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are effective scares, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result is a captivating and entertaining
