Generally speaking, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre feels mostly depleted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 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 turning out remarkably entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Growth
Among this movie's greatest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It begins with a memorable initial scene in which a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted by a vehicle plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger stumbles out proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is immediately followed by a flashback, allowing us to observe the family before the disaster occurred.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually gives the audience sufficient opportunity to get to know its main personalities prior to the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose former best friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has understandably caused a rift between the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household patriarch is her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and he seems to care about just two aspects: his work and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so invested in the family's dynamics and their personal conflicts that I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing viewers the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they add to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing traits enabled the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre that often introduces characters only to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, thus it's a genuine surprise once events eventually deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and the multiple family interactions actually bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a K-Drama with slightly dark humor before taking a sudden turn toward shocking territory. These introductory scenes don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to everything gets upended.
Original Infection Origin
This movie also offers a quite intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious zombification. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a new batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, I wish the movie devoted additional time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir which seems to include a highly contagious virus. Despite the lack of background, the impact this condition produces on humans proves absolutely disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear very convincing, and they're almost certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
More impressive compared to the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few instances of questionable choices (like any any good undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and sharp. Additionally, they aren't afraid to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available rather than standing still like a deer caught in lights as death nears.
Realistic Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes loves her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains clinging to bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been building over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This makes those instances when these characters express appreciation for each other seem far more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up scares. But they're effective scares, and because the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and enjoyable
