Generally speaking, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category feels largely depleted at this point. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Character Growth
One of this movie's strongest strengths lies in the superb rhythm. It begins using a striking initial scene where a peaceful family party is violently disrupted by a vehicle plows into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like stranger emerges and begins assaulting the partygoers. This intense moment is then succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see this household before the tragedy occurred.
Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir actually allows viewers enough opportunity to get to know its main characters before the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former best 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 Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on her. This household head is Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and who seems focused on only two aspects: his business and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves incredibly tense.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—which might sound like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable portion of its runtime to showing viewers the identity of every relative is, and how they add to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled the audience to connect to the personalities enough to be concerned for their outcome—a rare accomplishment for this style which frequently introduces individuals just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to consume, thus it's a genuine shock when things finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple family interactions actually evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a K-Drama with somewhat morbid humor prior to taking a sudden shift toward shocking territory. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting before everything gets upended.
Unique Zombification Source
The film also offers a quite interesting reason regarding the origin 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 herbal remedies developed by her dad. While we do learn something regarding how it started, I wish the film devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of context, the impact this condition produces on people proves absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and are almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, there are a few examples of questionable decision-making (as in any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of standing still like prey caught in lights as death approaches.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes is not perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—feel authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to push the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters express gratitude for each other feel far more sincere.
Predictable Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or community, as well. Instead, it's primarily serving up frights. But they're effective frights, and since the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and entertaining
