Generally speaking, I've had my fill of undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems largely depleted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. But, Netflix's new Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Development
One of this movie's greatest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene where a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted by a vehicle plows right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the partygoers. This dramatic scene is immediately followed by a look back, giving viewers to observe this household prior to the disaster occurred.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually allows the audience sufficient time to get to know its main characters before the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose ex close friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—an obviously awkward dynamic. This has predictably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family head is Nes' father, the owner of a popular natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and who seems focused on only two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion is extremely tense.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama to the point I almost overlooked this was a horror film—which might sound like a drawback, but in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of the film to showing us the identity of every relative represents, and how they add to the general turmoil. This emphasis on clashing personalities allowed me to relate with the characters sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—a rare feat in a genre which frequently presents individuals just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine shock when things finally go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy prior to making an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" territory. These early moments aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to it gets upended.
Unique Infection Source
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. While some background is provided something regarding its origins, I wish the movie had spent additional time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Regardless of the lack of context, the impact this condition produces on people is utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite convincing, and are practically guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of questionable choices (as in typical zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object they find instead of standing still like a deer in headlights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes on family conflict once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché often seen in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to meet up at a close location. However, once Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to push the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This causes those instances when these characters express appreciation for each other seem far more genuine.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight about family or community, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering frights. But they're successful scares, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and enjoyable
