For the most part, I've had my fill of undead films. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems mostly depleted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Character Growth
Among this movie's strongest assets is its excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a striking opening sequence where a calm family party is violently interrupted when a van plows into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is then followed by a look back, allowing us to observe the family before the disaster occurred.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers enough time to become acquainted with the primary personalities prior to the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has predictably led to a rift among the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he enjoys playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on Nes. This household head consists of her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and he appears focused on only two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion is extremely tense.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked this was a scary movie—which might sound like a drawback, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every relative represents, and how they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing traits allowed the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre that often presents characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to devour, so it's a real surprise when things finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a Korean drama with somewhat morbid comedy before making an abrupt shift toward shocking ground. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough opportunity to settle into the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a fairly interesting explanation for the source of the contagious zombification. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to producing a deadly potion which seems to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the lack of context, the effect this condition has on humans is absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also very convincing, and they're almost certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
Even better compared to the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of dubious choices (as in any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it over the head with whatever blunt instrument they find rather than standing still like a deer in headlights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord once individuals start turning to the undead, this proved a pleasantly realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for everything! cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the idea that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals express gratitude for each other seem far more genuine.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's primarily delivering frights. But they're effective scares, and because the film allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome proves an engaging and enjoyable
