Generally speaking, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category feels largely depleted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Superb Pacing and Personal Growth
Among the film's strongest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It begins using a memorable initial scene in which a calm family gathering is violently interrupted when a van crashes into the seating section. Out of the van, a very undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense moment is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to observe this household before the tragedy struck.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers enough time to become acquainted with the primary personalities prior to the carnage ensues. There's Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—an obviously awkward situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a falling out between the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. This household head is Nes' father, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves extremely strained.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a drawback, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of its runtime to showing viewers who each family member is, plus the ways they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities allowed me to relate to the personalities enough to be concerned for their outcome—a rare feat for this style which frequently introduces characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of zombies to devour, thus it's a genuine shock once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy before making a sudden turn toward shocking territory. These introductory scenes don't focus too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides enough opportunity to immerse in its world prior to it gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
This movie also offers a quite intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease originates in a new sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by her dad. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the limited context, the impact this condition produces on people proves absolutely repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite convincing, and they're almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few instances of dubious decision-making (like any any good zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with the nearest heavy object they find instead of freezing like prey caught in lights as death approaches.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly authentic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to push the notion that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals express gratitude for each other feel far more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound message regarding relatives or community, either. Instead, it's primarily serving up scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the film allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome proves an engaging and entertaining
