Generally speaking, I've grown tired of apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category seems mostly depleted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. However, Netflix's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Superb Pacing and Character Development
Among the film's greatest strengths lies in the superb pacing. It kicks off using a memorable initial scene where a calm family party gets suddenly interrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the attendees. This intense moment is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to observe this household prior to the tragedy occurred.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former close friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has predictably led to a falling out between the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as kind-hearted but socially awkward, and who loves gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on her. The family head consists of Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two aspects: his business and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion is incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts that I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, but ultimately paid off. The Elixir dedicates a significant amount of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member represents, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This focus on conflicting traits allowed the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare accomplishment for this style that often introduces characters just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to consume, so it's a real surprise when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and the multiple household exchanges actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a Korean drama featuring slightly dark comedy prior to making an abrupt shift toward shocking ground. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough time to settle into its world before it gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Source
This movie additionally presents a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the spreading zombification. Instead of a unintended lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the cause of this contagious disease stems from a recent batch from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited background, the effect this condition has on people proves utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a bold choice, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and they're almost certain to trigger one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better compared to the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of questionable decision-making (as in typical undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it over the head with whatever heavy object is available instead of freezing like a deer caught in lights as death nears.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome 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 apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they decide over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes the moments where these individuals do show appreciation toward one another feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight about family or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are successful scares, and because the film gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result is an engaging and entertaining
