For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels mostly depleted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Growth
One of the film's greatest strengths is its excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly interrupted by a van crashes right into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see this household prior to the tragedy occurred.
Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers sufficient time to get to know its main personalities prior to the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose ex best friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has predictably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family patriarch is her dad, who runs a popular herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and he appears focused on just two aspects: his business 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 invested in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—something that could seem like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable portion of the film to showing viewers the identity of every relative represents, and how they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits enabled me to relate with the characters enough to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre that often introduces individuals only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to devour, thus it's a real surprise once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and various household exchanges actually evoke the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama with slightly dark humor before taking a sudden turn into shocking territory. These early moments aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides enough time to immerse in its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a quite intriguing reason for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than an accidental lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the cause for this infectious condition stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the movie had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the effect this condition has on people proves utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies are quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a bold choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also very convincing, and are almost certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
Even better compared to the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, there are some instances of dubious choices (as in typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument is available rather than standing still like prey in headlights as death approaches.
Believable Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people start turning to the undead, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration on her brother that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to push the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This makes the moments when these characters do show gratitude for each other feel far more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound message about family or community, either. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're effective scares, and since the movie allows every personality sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
