Generally speaking, I've grown tired of apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for some time. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Excellent Rhythm and Personal Development
Among the film's strongest strengths is its superb rhythm. It begins with a memorable initial scene where a peaceful family party is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the seating section. Out of the van, a very zombie-like stranger emerges and begins assaulting the attendees. This dramatic moment is then succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to observe the family before the disaster struck.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir truly gives the audience enough opportunity to become acquainted with the primary personalities prior to the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother whose former close friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—an obviously awkward dynamic. This has understandably led to a rift among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who loves gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family head is her dad, the owner of a well-known herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two things: his work and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves incredibly tense.
Engaged in the Drama
I became so invested with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot this was a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member represents, and how they contribute to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—a rare feat for this style which frequently presents characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a real surprise once events finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a Korean drama with slightly dark humor prior to taking an abrupt shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir still provides sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to it gets upended.
Unique Zombification Origin
This movie also offers a quite intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease originates in a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. Although we do learn something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the film had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of natural treatments to producing a deadly potion that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited context, the impact this condition produces on humans is absolutely repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies are fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics are also very convincing, and they're practically guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, there are a few examples of dubious choices (as in typical zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick an undead in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of standing still like prey in headlights as death nears.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict once individuals begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they decide over the phone to meet up at a close location. However, once Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This makes the moments when these characters express gratitude for each other seem much more genuine.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or society, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are effective scares, and since the film allows every personality enough room to develop and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the outcome proves a captivating and enjoyable
