For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre seems mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations turning out quite enjoyable.
Superb Pacing and Character Development
One of this movie's strongest strengths lies in the superb rhythm. It begins with a memorable initial scene where a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted by a vehicle crashes into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like stranger stumbles out proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to observe the family prior to the disaster struck.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities before the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable situation. This has understandably led to a rift between the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and he enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on her. The family patriarch is Nes' father, who runs a popular herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and he seems focused on just two things: his work and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely tense.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot this was a horror film—something that could sound like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every relative is, and how they contribute to the overall turmoil. This focus on conflicting personalities allowed the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often presents characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to consume, so it's a real shock when things finally go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and the multiple family interactions actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to taking a sudden shift into shocking ground. These early moments don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir still provides enough opportunity to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Source
The film also offers a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this infectious condition originates in a recent sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. Although some background is provided something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the film devoted additional time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to producing a deadly elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited context, the impact this affliction has on people proves utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a bold choice, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and they're practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
Even better compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of dubious decision-making (as in any good zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with whatever heavy object is available instead of freezing like a deer in headlights as death approaches.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, which was a pleasantly realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still clinging to bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to push the idea that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This makes the moments when these characters do show appreciation for each other feel far more genuine.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight about family or community, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. But they're effective scares, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the result proves an engaging and enjoyable
