For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category feels largely exhausted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. However, Netflix's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated and proved remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Growth
One of the film's greatest strengths lies in the excellent rhythm. It begins with a striking initial scene where a calm family gathering gets suddenly interrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is then succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see the family before the disaster occurred.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows the audience sufficient time to become acquainted with the primary personalities prior to the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has understandably led to a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and he enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to her. The family patriarch consists of her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama to the point I almost overlooked this was a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every family member represents, plus the ways they contribute to the overall turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting personalities allowed the audience to connect with the characters enough to care about their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre that often presents individuals only to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and various household exchanges actually evoke the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy before taking a sudden shift toward shocking territory. These early moments don't focus as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides enough opportunity to settle into its world before everything gets upended.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease originates in a new sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the film devoted additional time explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Regardless of the lack of background, the effect this condition has on humans is absolutely disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also very convincing, and are almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, there are a few examples of questionable choices (as in any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and sharp. They also aren't afraid to strike an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find rather than freezing like a deer caught in lights while danger approaches.
Believable Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict when people start turning into zombies, this proved a pleasantly authentic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for everything! cliché often seen in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to meet up at a close spot. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This causes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude for each other feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or society, as well. Rather, it's mostly delivering frights. Yet these are successful scares, and because the film allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result is a captivating and enjoyable
