Typically, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems largely exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. But, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Growth
Among the film's strongest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It begins using a striking opening sequence in which a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted when a van crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see the family prior to the tragedy struck.
Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually allows viewers sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the carnage begins. There's Nes, a married mother whose ex close friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a rift among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and he loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. The family patriarch is her dad, the owner of a popular herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and who seems focused on only two things: his business and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts that I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing us who each family member represents, and how they contribute to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities allowed the audience to relate with the characters enough to care about their fate—a rare accomplishment for this style that often introduces individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to consume, thus it's a real shock when things finally go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy before taking a sudden turn into "holy shit" territory. These early moments don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to settle into its world before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Origin
This movie also offers a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the source of this contagious disease stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about how it started, I wish the film devoted additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of context, the impact this affliction produces on humans proves absolutely repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
Even better than the disgusting scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, there are some instances of dubious decision-making (like any typical undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of standing still like prey caught in lights while danger approaches.
Believable Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals begin transforming into zombies, which was a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that a near-death experience instantly cures familial strife. This causes the moments where these individuals express appreciation for each other seem much more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound insight about family or society, either. Instead, it's primarily serving up scares. But they're successful scares, and since the film gives each character enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and entertaining
