Typically, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems largely depleted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated and proved quite enjoyable.
Impressive Pacing and Character Growth
One of this movie's strongest assets is its excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family gathering is violently disrupted by a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is then followed by a look back, allowing us to see this household prior to the disaster struck.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually allows viewers sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with its main characters prior to the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother whose ex close friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has predictably caused a falling out between the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and who enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household head is her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about just two things: his business and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves extremely strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so invested in the household's issues and their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of the film to showing viewers the identity of every relative is, and how they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities allowed me to connect to the personalities enough to care about their fate—a rare feat for this style that often presents individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to devour, so it's a real shock once events eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and various family interactions actually evoke the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy before making a sudden shift into shocking ground. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to immerse in the setting before it gets upended.
Unique Infection Origin
This movie also offers a quite interesting reason for the source of the contagious zombification. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent additional time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition has on humans proves absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive than the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of questionable decision-making (as in typical zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and sharp. Additionally, they aren't afraid to kick an undead in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with whatever heavy object is available instead of freezing like prey caught in lights as death approaches.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude toward one another seem far more genuine.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep message about family or society, either. Instead, it's mostly delivering frights. Yet these are effective frights, and since the movie allows every personality sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is a captivating and enjoyable
