Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, this category seems largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, Netflix's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Superb Pacing and Character Growth
One of this movie's greatest assets is its excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking opening sequence in which a peaceful family party is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins attacking the attendees. This intense moment is then followed by a flashback, giving viewers to observe this household before the disaster struck.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir actually allows viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know the primary characters before the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has predictably caused a rift between the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and who loves gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family patriarch is Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who seems focused on only two things: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so invested in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime to showing viewers the identity of every family member is, and how they contribute to the overall turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed me to connect with the characters sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat for this style that often presents characters only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine shock when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and various family interactions in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy before taking a sudden shift into "holy shit" ground. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough opportunity to immerse in its world before it gets upended.
Unique Infection Source
This movie additionally presents a quite intriguing reason for the source of the spreading zombification. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the cause of this contagious disease originates in a recent sample from Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, I wish the movie devoted additional time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir which seems to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the limited context, the impact this condition has on humans is utterly disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite realistic, and are practically certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of questionable choices (like any any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her relatives are resourceful and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like a deer in headlights as death approaches.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a welcome realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they decide via telephone to meet up at a close spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to push the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude toward one another seem much more sincere.
Predictable Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound message about family or community, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. But they're successful scares, and since the movie gives each character enough room to develop and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the outcome proves an engaging and enjoyable
