Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, this category seems largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. However, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Superb Rhythm and Character Development
One of this movie's greatest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It kicks off using a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family party is violently disrupted when a vehicle plows into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out proceeding attacking the partygoers. This dramatic moment is immediately succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to see the family before the disaster occurred.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir actually allows the audience enough time to get to know the primary personalities before the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on her. The family patriarch is her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who seems focused on just two aspects: his business and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely tense.
Invested in the Drama
I became so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—which might sound like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member represents, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing traits enabled me to relate with the characters sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon feat for this style which frequently introduces characters just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, thus it's a real shock once events finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening sequences of the party and various family interactions in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy prior to taking a sudden turn toward "holy shit" territory. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting before it gets upended.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a fairly interesting reason for the source of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the source of this infectious condition stems from a recent sample from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, I wish the film had spent additional time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the effect this condition produces on humans proves absolutely disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a bold choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and are practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
More impressive compared to the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, there are some instances of dubious decision-making (like any any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of standing still like prey caught in lights as death approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals begin transforming to the undead, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "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 loves her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This causes those instances when these characters do show appreciation for each other seem much more sincere.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight about family or community, either. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the movie gives each character sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the result is a captivating and entertaining
