Generally speaking, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre seems largely depleted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. However, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Superb Rhythm and Character Growth
Among the film's strongest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence where a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like stranger emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This dramatic scene is immediately followed by a flashback, allowing us to see the family prior to the tragedy struck.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with the primary personalities prior to the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and who loves gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on her. The family head is her dad, the owner of a popular herbal remedy company named Wani Waras, and who appears to care about just two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed in the household's issues and their personal conflicts to the point I almost overlooked this was a horror film—something that could seem like a drawback, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film to showing us the identity of every relative is, plus the ways they add to the general turmoil. This emphasis on clashing traits enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare feat in a genre that often presents individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine shock when things finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid comedy before taking a sudden turn toward shocking territory. These early moments don't focus too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient time to immerse in its world before it gets turned upside down.
Original Infection Origin
This movie also offers a quite intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, I wish the film devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the lack of background, the impact this affliction has on humans proves absolutely disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, 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 convincing, and they're almost certain to trigger one's trypophobia.
Capable Personalities
Even better than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of questionable decision-making (like any typical undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to strike an undead in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with the nearest heavy object they find rather than freezing like a deer caught in lights as death nears.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals begin transforming into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché frequently used in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still holding onto bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her family—flawed as it is—seem authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures familial strife. This makes the moments where these individuals do show appreciation toward one another seem much more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep message about family or society, as well. Rather, it's mostly delivering frights. Yet these are effective frights, and since the movie gives each character sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result is a captivating and entertaining
