For the most part, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre seems mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out remarkably enjoyable.
Excellent Rhythm and Personal Growth
Among the film's greatest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It begins with a memorable initial scene where a calm family party gets suddenly interrupted when a van plows right into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking stranger emerges and begins attacking the attendees. This dramatic scene is immediately succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see this household prior to the tragedy struck.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually gives viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know its main characters before the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has predictably caused a falling out among the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on Nes. This household patriarch is her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who appears focused on only two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves incredibly tense.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so engrossed in the household's issues along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost overlooked I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every family member is, plus the ways they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled the audience to connect to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style which frequently presents individuals just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to consume, thus it's a real surprise once events eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening sequences of the party and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a K-Drama with somewhat morbid humor before making a sudden shift toward shocking territory. These early scenes aren't centered as much on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient time to immerse in the setting before everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Origin
This movie additionally presents a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. While we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the film had spent a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of natural treatments to producing a lethal potion that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the lack of context, the effect this affliction produces on humans proves utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and they're practically certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the disgusting scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of questionable decision-making (as in any good undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like prey in headlights as death nears.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord once individuals start turning into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes loves her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals do show appreciation for each other feel far more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight about family or society, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are effective scares, and since the film gives each character enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome is a captivating and entertaining
