Generally speaking, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre seems largely exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. But, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Development
One of this movie's greatest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene where a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is immediately followed by a flashback, giving viewers to see the family prior to the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually allows viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary personalities before the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has understandably caused a rift among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and who loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on Nes. This household patriarch consists of her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who seems focused on only two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion is extremely strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed in the household's issues and their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot this was a scary movie—which might sound like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they add to the general turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed the audience to relate with the characters enough to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon feat for this style that often introduces individuals just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a real shock once events eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and various family interactions in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor prior to making a sudden turn into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough time to settle into the setting before everything gets upended.
Original Zombification Source
This movie additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this infectious condition stems from a new batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the film had spent a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a lethal potion which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited background, the impact this condition produces on people proves utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.
Capable Personalities
More impressive than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of questionable decision-making (as in typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives are resourceful and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with the nearest heavy object they find rather than standing still like a deer in headlights as death approaches.
Believable Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals begin transforming to the undead, this proved a pleasantly authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they decide over the phone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes is not perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—feel authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments where these individuals express gratitude for each other seem much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or community, as well. Rather, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and entertaining
