Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category seems largely exhausted at this point. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Rhythm and Personal Growth
Among the film's strongest strengths is its excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene where a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking individual emerges and begins assaulting the attendees. This dramatic scene is immediately succeeded by a flashback, giving viewers to see the family before the disaster struck.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly allows viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main characters prior to the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has understandably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and he enjoys gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. This household patriarch consists of her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two things: his work and his wife to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves extremely tense.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so invested in the household's issues and their interpersonal drama that I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—something that could seem like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of the film to showing us who each relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing traits enabled the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—a rare accomplishment for this style that often presents characters just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine shock once events finally go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to taking a sudden turn toward shocking territory. These early moments don't focus as much on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough opportunity to settle into the setting before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Infection Origin
This movie also offers a fairly interesting reason for the source of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this infectious condition stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the film had spent a little more time explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition produces on humans proves utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This represents a daring choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and are almost certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
Even better than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few examples of dubious choices (like any any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her family are inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument they find rather than freezing like prey in headlights while danger approaches.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming into zombies, which was a welcome authentic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes loves her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains clinging to bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they decide over the phone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration on her brother that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals express gratitude toward one another seem far more sincere.
Predictable Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound message about family or community, as well. Instead, it's primarily serving up frights. Yet these are successful frights, and because the film gives each character sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome proves an engaging and entertaining
