Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, the genre seems largely exhausted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. However, Netflix's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Excellent Rhythm and Character Growth
One of this movie's greatest strengths lies in the superb pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family party is violently interrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking individual stumbles out and begins attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is immediately succeeded by a look back, allowing us to observe this household before the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly gives viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary characters before the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose ex best friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—an obviously awkward dynamic. This has understandably led to a rift between the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family patriarch is her dad, the owner of a popular herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and he seems focused on just two aspects: his business and his wife to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so invested with this household's issues along with their interpersonal drama that I nearly overlooked I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each family member is, and how they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting personalities allowed the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—a rare accomplishment in a genre that often introduces individuals only to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a genuine surprise when things eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and various family interactions in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy prior to taking a sudden shift into shocking territory. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting prior to it gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a quite intriguing reason for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease originates in a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by her dad. While some background is provided something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the effect this condition produces on humans is utterly disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a bold choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also quite realistic, and they're practically guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive compared to the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of questionable decision-making (as in any good zombie movie), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick an undead in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of standing still like a deer in headlights as death nears.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord once individuals begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome authentic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for everything! cliché often seen in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains clinging to bitterness 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 the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel realistic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to promote the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals do show appreciation for each other seem much more sincere.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound message about family or society, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. But they're successful frights, and because the film allows every personality sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the outcome is a captivating and entertaining
