Generally speaking, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems largely depleted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Character Development
One of the film's strongest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It kicks off using a memorable initial scene where a calm family party is violently interrupted when a vehicle crashes into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This dramatic scene is then followed by a flashback, giving viewers to see this household prior to the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities before the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. This has understandably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted but socially awkward, and he enjoys gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to her. This household head consists of her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who appears focused on just two aspects: his business and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion is incredibly tense.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so invested in the household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a drawback, yet ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime to showing viewers who each relative represents, plus the ways they add to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting personalities allowed the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat in a genre which frequently introduces characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, so it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges actually evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy prior to making an abrupt shift into "holy shit" territory. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to immerse in the setting before it gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a quite interesting explanation for the source of the contagious zombification. Instead of a unintended lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the cause of this infectious condition stems from a new sample from Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, I wish the film had spent additional time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly potion which seems to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the lack of background, the impact this affliction produces on humans is utterly repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a daring choice, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite convincing, and they're practically certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive compared to the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, we see a few instances of questionable choices (as in typical zombie movie), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object they find rather than standing still like prey caught in lights while danger nears.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and values her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still holding onto bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration on her brother that's clearly been building over time. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to promote the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This makes the moments when these characters express appreciation for each other feel far more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. Yet these are successful scares, and because the film allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and enjoyable
