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 gripping, this category feels mostly depleted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. But, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations turning out quite enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Development
Among the film's greatest strengths is its superb rhythm. It begins with a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly interrupted when a van plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking individual stumbles out and begins attacking the partygoers. This dramatic moment is then succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see this household prior to the disaster occurred.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers enough opportunity to get to know the primary characters before the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother whose former close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. This has understandably caused a falling out among the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family head consists of her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he seems to care about just two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is extremely strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama that I almost overlooked I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime to showing us the identity of every relative represents, and how they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing traits allowed the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents characters only to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor before making a sudden turn toward "holy shit" ground. These early scenes don't focus as much on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Source
This movie also offers a quite intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than an accidental lab leak or some sort of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a new batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir that appears to contain an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited background, the impact this condition has on people proves absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also very realistic, and they're practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few examples of dubious choices (like any any good zombie movie), however for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also aren't afraid to strike an undead in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or hit it over the head with whatever heavy object they find rather than standing still like a deer in headlights as death nears.
Believable Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes loves her family and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they decide via telephone to meet up at a nearby spot. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel realistic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This causes those instances when these characters do show appreciation toward one another seem far more sincere.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound message regarding relatives or community, as well. Instead, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're successful frights, and because the film allows every personality sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the result is a captivating and enjoyable
