For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems largely depleted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated and proved quite enjoyable.
Superb Pacing and Character Growth
One of the film's greatest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence in which a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a van plows right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the partygoers. This dramatic moment is then followed by a flashback, allowing us to observe this household before the disaster struck.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually gives viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary characters prior to the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably caused a falling out among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured but socially awkward, and who enjoys playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and he appears focused on just two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts to the point I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—something that could seem like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member is, plus the ways they add to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing traits enabled me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre which frequently presents characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and various household exchanges actually evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades like a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy before making a sudden shift into "holy shit" territory. These introductory moments don't focus as much on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting prior to everything gets upended.
Unique Zombification Source
The film also offers a quite interesting reason for the source of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir which seems to include a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the lack of background, the effect this condition produces on people is utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a bold decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
Even better than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of dubious choices (as in any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument is available rather than freezing like a deer caught in lights as death nears.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché frequently used in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they agree via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. But when Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes is not flawless, and her family—flawed as it is—seem authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes those instances when these characters do show gratitude for each other seem much more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound message about family or society, either. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. But they're effective frights, and because the film allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
