For the most part, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre feels largely exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. But, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations turning out remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Growth
Among this movie's strongest assets lies in the superb pacing. It kicks off with a striking initial scene where a calm family party is violently disrupted when a van plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is then followed by a look back, allowing us to see the family prior to the disaster struck.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know its main characters prior to the carnage begins. There's Nes, a married mother whose ex best friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a rift between the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family patriarch is Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama to the point I almost overlooked this was a horror film—something that could seem like a drawback, yet ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime depicting viewers who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting personalities allowed the audience to relate with the characters enough to be concerned for their outcome—a rare accomplishment in a genre that often introduces characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock once events eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama with somewhat morbid comedy prior to making a sudden turn into shocking territory. These early scenes aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough opportunity to settle into the setting before everything gets upended.
Original Zombification Source
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of a unintended lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent sample from Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. Although we do learn something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the film had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal potion which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the impact this affliction has on people proves absolutely repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a bold decision, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite convincing, and they're practically guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Capable Personalities
Even better compared to the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of questionable decision-making (as in typical undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her family are resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find rather than standing still like prey caught in lights while danger nears.
Believable Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, which was a welcome realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still holding onto bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they decide via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters do show gratitude for each other seem far more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are effective frights, and because the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome proves a captivating and entertaining
