Generally speaking, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, this category seems mostly depleted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Superb Pacing and Personal Development
One of the film's strongest strengths lies in the superb pacing. It kicks off with a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted by a van plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking individual stumbles out and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is then succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to observe the family prior to the tragedy occurred.
Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir actually gives the audience sufficient time to become acquainted with its main characters before the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former best friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably caused a rift among the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. The family head consists of her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly tense.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed in the household's issues and their interpersonal drama that I almost overlooked I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every relative represents, and how they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare accomplishment 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 devour, so it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a K-Drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to making a sudden shift toward shocking territory. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides enough time to immerse in its world prior to it gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
This movie additionally presents a fairly interesting explanation regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. Although some background is provided a bit about its origins, I wish the movie devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the limited background, the impact this affliction has on humans is utterly disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring choice, yet it succeeds. 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
More impressive than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are some instances of questionable choices (like any typical undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her family are resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find rather than freezing like prey caught in lights as death approaches.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals start turning to the undead, which was a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes loves her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to regroup at a close spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes is not flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This causes the moments when these characters express appreciation toward one another feel much more genuine.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound message about family or community, either. Instead, it's primarily serving up frights. But they're successful frights, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
