For the most part, I've had my fill of undead films. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, the genre feels largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.
Impressive Pacing and Character Growth
One of this movie's greatest assets is its excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene where a peaceful family gathering is violently disrupted when a van crashes right into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This intense moment is then succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to observe this household before the disaster struck.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly gives the audience sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with the primary personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on her. This household patriarch is Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two aspects: his business and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I almost overlooked I was watching a horror film—which might seem like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing us who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on conflicting personalities allowed me to relate to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often presents individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a genuine surprise when things finally go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a Korean drama with slightly dark humor before making an abrupt shift into "holy shit" ground. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir still provides sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting prior to it gets upended.
Unique Infection Source
The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this infectious condition stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the film devoted additional time on how Wani Waras went from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this affliction produces on people is absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a bold choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and they're almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
More impressive than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of dubious choices (like any typical undead film), but generally, Nes and her relatives are resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available rather than standing still like a deer in headlights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes on family conflict once individuals start turning into zombies, this proved a pleasantly authentic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for everything! trope frequently used in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to promote the idea that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters do show appreciation for each other feel far more genuine.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep insight regarding relatives or community, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
