Generally speaking, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems largely exhausted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, Netflix's latest Southeast Asian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Excellent Rhythm and Personal Growth
One of the film's greatest assets is its superb pacing. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly interrupted when a van plows right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins attacking the partygoers. This intense scene is then succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to observe this household prior to the disaster occurred.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know the primary personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably caused a rift between the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured but socially awkward, and who loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on Nes. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and he appears to care about just two aspects: his work and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so engrossed in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a drawback, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of the film depicting us who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed the audience to relate to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—a rare accomplishment in a genre that often introduces characters only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, thus it's a real surprise once events finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a K-Drama featuring somewhat morbid humor before taking an abrupt turn into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes aren't centered as much on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting before it gets upended.
Original Infection Origin
The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease originates in a new batch of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted additional time on how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the lack of background, the effect this condition produces on people proves absolutely repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite convincing, and are almost certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
More impressive than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of dubious choices (as in typical zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her family are resourceful and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument they find rather than standing still like a deer in headlights while danger nears.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, this proved a welcome authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to meet up at a close location. However, once Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration on her brother that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals express gratitude for each other feel far more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound message regarding relatives or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are successful scares, and because the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and enjoyable
