Typically, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, this category seems largely depleted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. However, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations turning out remarkably entertaining.
Impressive Rhythm and Personal Growth
Among the film's strongest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene where a calm family gathering is violently disrupted by a van plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is then succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to observe the family prior to the disaster occurred.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough time to become acquainted with the primary personalities before the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a former close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has predictably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on Nes. The family patriarch consists of Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and he seems to care about just two things: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so invested in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of the film depicting viewers the identity of every family member is, and how they contribute to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities allowed the audience to relate with the characters enough to be concerned for their fate—a rare accomplishment in a genre that often presents individuals only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine surprise when things finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama with somewhat morbid humor before taking an abrupt turn into "holy shit" territory. These introductory scenes aren't centered as much on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to it gets upended.
Unique Infection Source
The film also offers a fairly interesting explanation regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the cause of this contagious disease originates in a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, I wish the film had spent a little more time explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the lack of background, the impact this condition produces on humans proves utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a bold choice, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and are practically certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of questionable decision-making (like any any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her family are resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike an undead in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with whatever heavy object is available rather than freezing like prey caught in lights as death nears.
Realistic Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals start turning to the undead, this proved a pleasantly realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she remains holding onto resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This makes the moments where these individuals express gratitude for each other feel far more genuine.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or community, as well. Instead, it's mostly delivering frights. Yet these are effective scares, and because the movie gives each character enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is a captivating and enjoyable
