For the most part, I'm over undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre seems mostly depleted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Superb Rhythm and Character Growth
One of this movie's strongest strengths is its excellent pacing. It kicks off using a memorable initial scene where a calm family party is violently interrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking stranger stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This dramatic moment is then followed by a look back, giving viewers to observe the family before the disaster occurred.
Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir truly gives the audience enough time to become acquainted with its main personalities before the carnage ensues. There's Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has understandably caused a falling out among the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and who enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on her. This household head consists of Nes' father, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two things: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves extremely strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so invested in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama to the point I nearly overlooked I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a drawback, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film to showing viewers who each relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on clashing traits allowed the audience to relate with the characters sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare feat for this style which frequently introduces individuals just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to devour, so it's a real shock once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a K-Drama with slightly dark humor before making a sudden shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives sufficient time to settle into the setting prior to it gets upended.
Unique Zombification Source
The film also offers a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Instead of a unintended lab leak or a type of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a recent sample from Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding how it started, I wish the film devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the impact this condition has on humans is utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a bold decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and are almost guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of dubious decision-making (like any typical undead film), but generally, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest heavy object they find rather than freezing like a deer in headlights as death nears.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people begin transforming into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she remains holding onto bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a close spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been building over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—seem realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This makes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude for each other feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound message regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up scares. But they're effective scares, and because the movie gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
