For the most part, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, this category seems mostly depleted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Development
One of this movie's greatest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable initial scene where a calm family gathering is violently interrupted by a van crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense moment is immediately succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see the family before the disaster occurred.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows the audience enough opportunity to get to know its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother whose former best friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably caused a falling out between Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household head is her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two aspects: his business and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion is incredibly tense.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so invested in the household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I almost forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing us who each family member represents, and how they add to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits enabled the audience to connect to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre that often presents individuals just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to consume, so it's a real surprise once events eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor before taking an abrupt turn toward shocking ground. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives enough time to immerse in the setting before everything gets upended.
Original Infection Source
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by her dad. While some background is provided something regarding how it started, I wish the movie had spent a little more focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of natural treatments to producing a deadly elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the lack of context, the impact this condition has on people is absolutely disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and are practically certain to trigger one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
Even better than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of dubious decision-making (as in typical zombie movie), however for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and sharp. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like prey in headlights as death approaches.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus on family conflict when people start turning 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!" trope often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close spot. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to push the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals express gratitude toward one another seem much more sincere.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound message regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's primarily delivering frights. But they're effective scares, and since the movie allows every personality sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and enjoyable
