Generally speaking, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems largely depleted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Character Growth
One of this movie's strongest assets lies in the superb pacing. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family party is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking individual emerges and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see the family prior to the disaster occurred.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir actually allows the audience sufficient opportunity to get to know its main characters before the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. This has predictably led to a rift among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. This household patriarch consists of Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and who appears focused on only two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I became so engrossed in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked this was a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing viewers the identity of every family member represents, and how they contribute to the general dysfunction. This focus on conflicting traits allowed the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—a rare feat in a genre which frequently presents individuals only to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to devour, thus it's a genuine shock once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy before making an abrupt shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough time to settle into its world before everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Source
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the spreading transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the cause of this infectious condition stems from a new 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 had spent additional time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the impact this condition has on people proves utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and are practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive compared to the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, there are some examples of dubious choices (like any any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her family are inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available instead of standing still like prey caught in lights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes loves her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her family—flawed as it is—seem authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to push the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This makes the moments where these individuals express appreciation toward one another seem much more genuine.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep message regarding relatives or society, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are successful scares, and since the film allows every personality enough room to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result proves a captivating and entertaining
