For the most part, I've had my fill of zombie movies. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Development
Among the film's strongest strengths lies in the excellent rhythm. It begins using a memorable initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly interrupted when a vehicle crashes into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking individual stumbles out proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is then succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to observe this household before the disaster occurred.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main characters prior to the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a married mother whose former best friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. This has understandably led to a rift between the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured but socially awkward, and who enjoys gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on her. This household head is Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of its runtime depicting us who each relative represents, and how they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing personalities allowed the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare accomplishment for this style that often presents individuals only to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a real surprise when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening sequences from the gathering and various family interactions actually evoke the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a Korean drama with somewhat morbid comedy before making an abrupt turn into shocking territory. These early moments don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides enough time to immerse in its world prior to it gets turned upside down.
Original Infection Origin
The film also offers a fairly interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this infectious condition stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although we do learn something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the movie devoted additional time explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition produces on people is absolutely disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear very realistic, and are almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
More impressive compared to the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are a few examples of questionable choices (as in typical undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives are resourceful and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with the nearest heavy object is available rather than freezing like a deer caught in lights while danger nears.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly authentic 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. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to promote the idea that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This makes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude for each other feel far more genuine.
Predictable Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight about family or community, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are successful frights, and since the film allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and enjoyable
