For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, the genre seems largely exhausted at this point. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out remarkably entertaining.
Superb Pacing and Character Development
One of this movie's greatest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off with a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering is violently interrupted when a vehicle plows right into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding attacking the partygoers. This dramatic scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to observe the family before the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough opportunity to get to know the primary personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose ex close friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and he loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to her. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two things: his work and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is extremely tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I became so invested with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a drawback, yet in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime depicting viewers who each relative is, and how they contribute to the general turmoil. This emphasis on clashing personalities allowed the audience to connect to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often introduces characters only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, so it's a real surprise once events finally go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and the multiple family interactions in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a K-Drama with slightly dark humor before making an abrupt turn toward shocking territory. These early scenes aren't centered too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides enough opportunity to settle into the setting before everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Source
This movie also offers a fairly interesting reason for the source of the spreading zombification. Rather than an accidental lab leak or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease stems from a new batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the film had spent a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a deadly potion which seems to include an extremely infectious virus. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition produces on humans is utterly repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics also appear very convincing, and are practically certain to trigger one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of questionable decision-making (like any any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find rather than standing still like prey caught in lights while danger nears.
Believable Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals begin transforming into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes loves her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains holding onto bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a close spot. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been building over time. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes the moments where these individuals express appreciation toward one another seem much more genuine.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep message about family or community, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up scares. But they're successful scares, and since the film allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome is an engaging and enjoyable
