For the most part, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category feels mostly depleted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated and proved quite enjoyable.
Superb Pacing and Character Growth
One of this movie's greatest assets lies in the superb rhythm. It begins with a memorable initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly interrupted when a vehicle plows right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense moment is then followed by a look back, allowing us to see the family prior to the disaster occurred.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir actually gives viewers sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose ex best friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a falling out between the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family head is her dad, who runs a popular herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and he seems focused on just two things: his business and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely strained.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested in the household's issues and their interpersonal drama that I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant amount of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member is, plus the ways they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat for this style which frequently introduces characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, disposable victims for a horde of zombies to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and various family interactions in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy before taking an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" territory. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough time to settle into its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Original Infection Source
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Instead of a unintended lab leak or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease stems from a recent batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the film had spent additional time explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal potion which seems to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited context, the effect this affliction has on humans proves utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and are almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive compared to the disgusting scenes is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of dubious choices (like any typical undead film), however generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with the nearest heavy object they find rather than standing still like a deer caught in lights while danger nears.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly authentic subversion from that "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 apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains holding onto bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they agree over the phone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes is not flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to push the idea that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes those instances when these characters express gratitude toward one another seem much more genuine.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound message about family or society, either. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're effective frights, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result proves an engaging and entertaining
