For the most part, I'm over zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category feels largely depleted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for some time. However, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated and proved remarkably entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Development
One of this movie's strongest strengths is its superb pacing. It kicks off using a striking opening sequence in which a calm family party gets suddenly interrupted when a van crashes into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins attacking the partygoers. This intense scene is then followed by a flashback, giving viewers to see this household before the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually gives viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know the primary personalities prior to the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably caused a rift among the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured but a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to her. The family head is Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company named Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is extremely strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I became so invested in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I nearly forgot this was a horror film—something that could sound like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits allowed me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare accomplishment for this style that often presents characters just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions actually bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy prior to taking an abrupt turn into "holy shit" territory. These introductory moments don't focus as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides enough time to settle into the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Original Infection Origin
This movie also offers a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of a unintended lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the film devoted a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion which seems to include a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the limited background, the impact this condition has on humans is absolutely repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite convincing, and they're practically guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few examples of dubious decision-making (as in any good undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with the nearest blunt instrument they find rather than freezing like prey in headlights as death nears.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict when people begin transforming into zombies, which was a welcome realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for everything! cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they decide over the phone to meet up at a close spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been building over time. Nes is not flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters do show appreciation toward one another feel much more sincere.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight about family or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are effective scares, and because the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result proves an engaging and entertaining
