For the most part, I've grown tired of undead films. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels mostly exhausted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Development
One of the film's greatest assets is its superb rhythm. It kicks off with a striking opening sequence where a calm family party is violently interrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is immediately followed by a flashback, allowing us to see the family before the tragedy occurred.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives the audience enough opportunity to become acquainted with the primary personalities before the carnage begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose ex best friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has predictably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on her. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he appears focused on just two aspects: his business and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is extremely strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts that I almost forgot this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir dedicates a considerable portion of its runtime depicting viewers who each relative represents, and how they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled the audience to connect with the characters enough to be concerned for their fate—a rare feat for this style which frequently presents individuals just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a real surprise once events eventually deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy before taking an abrupt turn toward shocking territory. These introductory scenes don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient time to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Source
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, I wish the film had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited context, the effect this condition produces on people proves absolutely repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a daring choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics are also quite convincing, and they're practically certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Capable Personalities
Even better than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of dubious choices (like any typical undead film), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike an undead in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with whatever heavy object is available rather than freezing like prey in headlights as death approaches.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people start turning into zombies, which was a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains clinging to resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they agree via telephone to meet up at a close location. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—seem authentic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters do show appreciation for each other seem far more sincere.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep insight about family or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the film allows every personality sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome is a captivating and entertaining
