For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. But, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated and proved remarkably entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Development
One of the film's strongest assets lies in the excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a striking opening sequence where a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, a very zombie-like individual emerges and begins attacking the attendees. This intense moment is immediately followed by a flashback, giving viewers to see this household prior to the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers sufficient time to become acquainted with the primary characters before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. This has understandably led to a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured but a bit inept socially, and he enjoys playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on her. The family head is her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he appears focused on only two things: his business and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely strained.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues and their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a drawback, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime depicting viewers who each family member represents, plus the ways they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits enabled the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style which frequently presents characters just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, disposable victims for an army of the undead to consume, thus it's a genuine surprise once events eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions actually evoke the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama with slightly dark humor before making an abrupt turn into "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still provides sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film also offers a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new batch of 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 focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion which seems to include a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the lack of context, the effect this condition produces on people proves utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also quite realistic, and are almost certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of dubious choices (as in any good undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like a deer in headlights as death nears.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes 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 you almost died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes loves her family and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they decide over the phone to meet up at a nearby location. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes is not perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes those instances when these characters express gratitude toward one another feel far more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep insight about family or society, as well. Rather, it's primarily delivering frights. But they're successful frights, and since the film allows every personality enough room to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
