For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category feels largely exhausted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Superb Pacing and Character Development
Among this movie's greatest strengths is its excellent pacing. It kicks off with a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family party gets suddenly disrupted by a van plows right into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This dramatic scene is immediately followed by a look back, allowing us to observe this household prior to the disaster occurred.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows the audience sufficient opportunity to get to know the primary personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably led to a falling out among Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. This household patriarch is Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two aspects: his business and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed in the household's issues and their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—which might sound like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each family member is, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing personalities allowed me to relate with the characters enough to care about their outcome—a rare accomplishment in a genre that often introduces characters just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine surprise once events finally go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and various household exchanges actually evoke the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor before taking a sudden shift toward shocking territory. These introductory scenes aren't centered too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to immerse in the setting prior to it gets upended.
Unique Zombification Origin
This movie also offers a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the cause for this infectious condition originates in a new batch from Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. While some background is provided a bit about how it started, I wish the movie devoted a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a deadly potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious virus. Regardless of the limited background, the effect this condition produces on people proves utterly repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also very convincing, and are almost guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
Even better compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, there are a few examples of dubious choices (like any any good zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of standing still like prey in headlights while danger approaches.
Realistic Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus on family conflict once individuals begin transforming 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 everything! cliché frequently used in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes loves her family and values her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still clinging to bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes is not flawless, and her family—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable because the film doesn't try to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude toward one another feel far more sincere.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep insight regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's mostly delivering frights. But they're successful frights, and since the film gives each character enough room to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and entertaining
