Generally speaking, I've had my fill of zombie movies. Although classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category feels mostly exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Impressive Rhythm and Personal Growth
One of this movie's greatest strengths is its excellent pacing. It begins with a striking opening sequence where a calm family party is violently disrupted by a vehicle plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This dramatic scene is immediately followed by a flashback, giving viewers to see the family prior to the disaster occurred.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers enough opportunity to get to know the primary characters before the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—an obviously awkward situation. This has understandably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to her. The family head is her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two aspects: his work and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion is extremely tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I became so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama to the point I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—which might sound like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of the film to showing us the identity of every relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing traits allowed the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre that often presents characters only to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a real shock once events eventually deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and various family interactions actually evoke the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to taking an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" ground. These early moments aren't centered as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough opportunity to immerse in the setting before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Source
The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease originates in a new batch of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the film devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir that appears to contain an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited background, the impact this condition produces on people proves utterly repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a bold decision, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also quite realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Capable Personalities
Even better than the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of questionable choices (like any any good zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with the nearest heavy object they find rather than standing still like prey caught in lights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus on family conflict when people start turning to the undead, this proved a pleasantly realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she remains clinging to bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they decide over the phone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—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 gratitude toward one another seem far more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound message regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up frights. But they're successful scares, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and enjoyable
