Generally speaking, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category feels largely exhausted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Development
Among the film's strongest strengths lies in the superb rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence where a calm family gathering is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is then succeeded by a flashback, giving viewers to see this household prior to the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually gives the audience sufficient time to get to know the primary personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother whose ex close friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has predictably led to a falling out among the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and he loves gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on her. This household patriarch is her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly tense.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so invested with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts to the point I almost overlooked I was watching a scary movie—which might sound like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime to showing us who each family member is, and how they contribute to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—a rare accomplishment for this style which frequently introduces individuals just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and various family interactions in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a K-Drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to taking a sudden turn toward "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments don't focus as much on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still provides sufficient time to immerse in the setting before it gets upended.
Original Zombification Source
The film also offers a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Instead of an accidental lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this infectious condition stems from a new sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the movie had spent additional focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a deadly potion which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this affliction produces on people proves utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a bold decision, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also quite realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
More impressive than the disgusting scenes is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of dubious decision-making (as in typical undead film), but generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest heavy object they find instead of standing still like prey in headlights while danger approaches.
Believable 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 pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they decide over the phone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to push the idea that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals express appreciation toward one another feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep message regarding relatives or society, as well. Rather, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are effective frights, and because the film allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result is a captivating and enjoyable
