Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre feels largely depleted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. However, Netflix's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Growth
One of the film's greatest assets lies in the excellent rhythm. It begins with a striking opening sequence in which a calm family gathering gets suddenly interrupted by a van crashes right into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense scene is then succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to observe the family prior to the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient time to become acquainted with its main characters before the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—an obviously awkward situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and he loves gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on her. The family head is her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and who seems focused on just two things: his business and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is extremely tense.
Invested in the Drama
I became so engrossed in the household's issues and their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of the film depicting us who each family member is, plus the ways they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities allowed me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat for this style that often introduces characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, so it's a real surprise once events eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and various family interactions actually evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a K-Drama with somewhat morbid humor before making an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" ground. These early moments don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Infection Source
The film also offers a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease originates in a recent batch from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted additional time explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited context, the impact this affliction has on humans proves utterly repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a bold decision, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics also appear quite realistic, and are practically certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive compared to the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some instances of dubious decision-making (as in typical undead film), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike an undead in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object they find rather than freezing like prey in headlights while danger nears.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord once individuals begin transforming to the undead, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for everything! cliché often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been building over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals do show appreciation for each other feel much more sincere.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep message about family or society, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the film gives each character sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and entertaining
