Typically, I've grown tired of zombie movies. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre feels largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Superb Pacing and Personal Growth
One of this movie's greatest strengths lies in the excellent rhythm. It kicks off using a memorable opening sequence in which a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This dramatic moment is immediately succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see this household before the disaster struck.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know the primary characters prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—an obviously awkward dynamic. This has understandably led to a rift between the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and who loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to her. This household patriarch is her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about only two aspects: his business and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so invested with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot this was a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing us who each relative represents, plus the ways they add to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits enabled the audience to connect to the personalities enough to be concerned for their fate—a rare accomplishment for this style that often introduces individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a genuine shock once events eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges actually evoke the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a Korean drama with slightly dark humor prior to taking an abrupt shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient time to immerse in its world prior to it gets upended.
Unique Infection Source
This movie additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation 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 originates in a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. Although we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie devoted additional time explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the lack of background, the impact this affliction has on humans is utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and are practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
Even better compared to the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are some instances of questionable choices (like any typical zombie movie), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like prey caught in lights while danger nears.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes the moments where these individuals do show appreciation toward one another seem far more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound message about family or society, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. But they're effective frights, and because the film allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result proves a captivating and enjoyable
