Typically, I've had my fill of zombie movies. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category feels mostly exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Impressive Rhythm and Personal Development
One of the film's greatest assets is its excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to observe this household before the disaster struck.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually gives the audience enough opportunity to get to know its main personalities prior to the carnage begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. This has understandably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and who loves playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. The family head consists of Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and he seems focused on only two aspects: his business and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion is incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I almost forgot this was a horror film—something that could sound like a drawback, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing us who each relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities enabled the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat for this style which frequently presents characters only to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of zombies to devour, thus it's a real shock once events eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening sequences from the gathering and various family interactions in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid comedy prior to taking an abrupt shift into shocking ground. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides enough opportunity to immerse in its world before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Source
The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the spreading zombification. Instead of a unintended lab leak or a type of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease originates in a recent batch from Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. Although some background is provided something regarding its origins, I wish the film devoted additional time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the effect this affliction produces on people proves utterly repulsive, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies are fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a bold decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and are practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
More impressive compared to the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are some instances of questionable choices (as in any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike an undead in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of standing still like a deer caught in lights while danger approaches.
Realistic Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they decide over the phone to meet up at a close location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals express appreciation for each other seem far more genuine.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep message regarding relatives or society, as well. Rather, it's mostly serving up frights. But they're effective frights, and because the film allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result is an engaging and enjoyable
