For the most part, I've had my fill of undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Growth
Among the film's greatest assets lies in the superb pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly interrupted when a vehicle crashes into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like stranger emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This dramatic moment is then followed by a look back, giving viewers to observe this household prior to the disaster occurred.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother whose ex close friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly awkward dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on Nes. This household head consists of her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two things: his business and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is extremely strained.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested with this household's issues and their interpersonal drama to the point I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime depicting us the identity of every relative represents, and how they contribute to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities enabled the audience to connect with the characters sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—a rare feat for this style that often introduces characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, so it's a genuine surprise once events finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy before taking a sudden shift toward "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir still provides sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting before it gets upended.
Unique Infection Source
This movie additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause of this contagious disease stems from a new batch of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding how it started, I wish the film had spent a little more focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of context, the impact this condition produces on humans proves absolutely repulsive, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and they're practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
Even better than the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of questionable decision-making (like any typical zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of standing still like prey caught in lights while danger approaches.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, 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 often seen in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they decide via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—seem realistic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals express gratitude for each other seem far more genuine.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight about family or society, either. Instead, it's primarily serving up frights. Yet these are successful frights, and since the movie allows every personality sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and entertaining
