For the most part, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category feels largely exhausted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations turning out quite entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Character Growth
One of the film's strongest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It begins with a memorable initial scene where a peaceful family party is violently disrupted by a van crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger stumbles out proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is then followed by a look back, giving viewers to observe the family prior to the disaster struck.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers sufficient time to become acquainted with the primary characters before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable situation. This has understandably led to a falling out between Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on Nes. This household head consists of her dad, the owner of a popular herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and who appears focused on just two things: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely tense.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts that I almost overlooked this was a horror film—which might sound like a negative, yet ultimately paid off. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of the film to showing viewers who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting traits enabled the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—a rare accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to devour, thus it's a real shock once events finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges actually evoke the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a K-Drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to making a sudden turn toward shocking territory. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in its world prior to it gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Origin
The film also offers a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by her dad. While we do learn a bit about how it started, I wish the film devoted additional focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the lack of background, the impact this condition has on people proves absolutely disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This represents a bold choice, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and they're practically certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
More impressive than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of questionable choices (like any typical undead film), however generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. They also aren't afraid to strike an undead in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it over the head with the nearest blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like a deer in headlights while danger approaches.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, this proved a pleasantly realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché frequently used in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes loves her family and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close spot. However, once Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem authentic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes the moments where these individuals express gratitude toward one another seem much more genuine.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound message regarding relatives or society, either. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. But they're effective scares, and since the movie gives each character enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and enjoyable
