For the most part, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Rhythm and Character Development
One of this movie's strongest assets is its superb pacing. It begins with a memorable initial scene in which a calm family gathering is violently interrupted when a van crashes right into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to see this household prior to the disaster struck.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir actually gives viewers enough time to become acquainted with the primary characters before the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—an obviously awkward dynamic. Naturally, this has predictably caused a rift among the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on her. This household patriarch consists of Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he appears focused on only two things: his business and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely strained.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked this was a scary movie—which might seem like a drawback, yet ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film to showing us who each relative represents, and how they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting traits enabled the audience to relate with the characters sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare feat in a genre which frequently presents characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a Korean drama with slightly dark humor before making an abrupt turn into shocking ground. These early moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir still provides sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to it gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Origin
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the cause of this infectious condition originates in a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding how it started, I wish the movie had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to producing a deadly elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition produces on people is utterly disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a bold choice, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also quite realistic, and are practically certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Capable Characters
More impressive compared to the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of dubious choices (as in any good zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with the nearest heavy object is available rather than standing still like a deer in headlights as death approaches.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord once individuals begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes loves her family and values her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide over the phone to regroup at a nearby spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration on her brother that's clearly been building over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This causes those instances where these individuals express appreciation toward one another seem much more genuine.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight about family or society, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are successful scares, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and enjoyable
