Generally speaking, I'm over zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels largely exhausted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. But, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Impressive Rhythm and Personal Development
Among the film's strongest strengths lies in the superb pacing. It begins using a striking opening sequence where a peaceful family party is violently disrupted by a vehicle crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like stranger emerges and begins assaulting the attendees. This dramatic scene is then followed by a flashback, allowing us to see the family before the tragedy struck.
Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly gives viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary characters prior to the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on her. The family head consists of Nes' father, the owner of a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who seems to care about only two things: his business and his wife to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is extremely tense.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I almost forgot this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities enabled the audience to relate to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—a rare accomplishment for this style that often presents characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, thus it's a genuine shock once events eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades like a K-Drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to making a sudden shift into "holy shit" ground. These early scenes aren't centered as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides enough time to immerse in the setting before it gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Origin
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the spreading zombification. Instead of an accidental lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this infectious condition originates in a recent sample from Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the lack of context, the impact this condition has on humans proves absolutely disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and they're almost certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
More impressive than the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of dubious decision-making (like any typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument is available instead of standing still like a deer caught in lights as death approaches.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, this proved a pleasantly authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes the moments when these characters express gratitude for each other feel far more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or society, as well. Rather, it's mostly serving up frights. But they're effective scares, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves a captivating and enjoyable
