Generally speaking, I've grown tired of apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category seems mostly depleted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations turning out quite enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Development
One of this movie's strongest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It begins with a striking initial scene in which a calm family gathering is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes right into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the attendees. This intense scene is immediately followed by a flashback, allowing us to observe the family prior to the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly gives viewers enough time to get to know its main personalities prior to the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and who loves playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. The family patriarch consists of her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two things: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves incredibly strained.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed in the family's dynamics and their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member is, and how they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare accomplishment for this style that often introduces characters just to kill them off 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 genuine surprise when things finally go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy before making an abrupt shift toward shocking ground. These introductory moments don't focus as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient time to settle into its world before it gets upended.
Original Infection Source
This movie additionally presents a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the contagious zombification. Instead of an accidental lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a new batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the film had spent a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a deadly potion which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the lack of context, the impact this affliction has on humans is absolutely repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a bold decision, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear very realistic, and they're almost certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
Even better compared to the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, there are some examples of dubious decision-making (like any typical zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like a deer caught in lights as death nears.
Believable Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes loves her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still holding onto resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration on her brother that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments where these individuals do show appreciation for each other feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep message regarding relatives or society, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are successful frights, and because the film allows every personality sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the outcome is a captivating and enjoyable
