Typically, I've had my fill of undead films. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, this category feels largely depleted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for some time. However, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated and proved remarkably entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Growth
One of the film's strongest strengths lies in the excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable initial scene in which a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the partygoers. This dramatic moment is immediately succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see this household before the disaster struck.
Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir truly gives viewers enough time to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother whose ex close friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably caused a falling out between Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and who enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family head consists of her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about just two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama to the point I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime depicting us the identity of every family member is, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities enabled me to connect with the characters sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often introduces individuals just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to consume, so it's a real surprise once events eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy before taking a sudden turn into "holy shit" territory. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still provides sufficient time to immerse in its world before everything gets upended.
Original Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease originates in a new sample from Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. Although we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie devoted additional focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of natural treatments to creating a deadly elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the effect this condition has on humans proves utterly disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also very realistic, and they're practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
Even better compared to the disgusting scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, there are some examples of dubious decision-making (as in any good zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find rather than standing still like a deer caught in lights as death nears.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic subversion from the "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 films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains holding onto bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been building for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals do show appreciation toward one another feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up scares. But they're effective scares, and since the film gives each character enough room to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and enjoyable
