Generally speaking, I've grown tired of apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's new Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations turning out quite enjoyable.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Growth
One of the film's greatest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene in which a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle plows right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is then followed by a flashback, allowing us to observe this household before the tragedy struck.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually gives the audience sufficient time to get to know the primary characters before the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a falling out between the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on her. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves extremely strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama to the point I almost overlooked this was a horror film—which might sound like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant amount of the film to showing us the identity of every relative represents, and how they contribute to the general turmoil. This emphasis on clashing personalities allowed the audience to connect to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style which frequently presents characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to consume, thus it's a genuine surprise once events finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening sequences from the gathering and the multiple family interactions in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades like a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor prior to making an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" ground. These early scenes aren't centered too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient time to immerse in the setting before everything gets upended.
Original Infection Origin
This movie additionally presents a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more time explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a deadly potion which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the lack of context, the effect this affliction produces on humans proves utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
Even better than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few instances of questionable choices (like any any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with the nearest heavy object they find instead of freezing like a deer caught in lights while danger nears.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes those instances when these characters do show appreciation for each other seem much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight about family or society, as well. Rather, it's primarily serving up frights. But they're successful frights, and because the movie gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves a captivating and enjoyable
