Typically, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre seems mostly exhausted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated and proved quite entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Growth
Among this movie's strongest assets lies in the excellent rhythm. It kicks off using a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering is violently disrupted when a van plows right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins attacking the attendees. This intense moment is then followed by a flashback, allowing us to observe the family before the disaster struck.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually gives the audience enough opportunity to get to know its main personalities prior to the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. This has understandably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household head is her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two things: his work and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I became so engrossed in the family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a drawback, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime to showing viewers the identity of every relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities enabled me to relate with the characters enough to care about their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre that often presents characters only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and the multiple family interactions actually evoke the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy prior to taking a sudden turn into shocking territory. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives enough opportunity to settle into its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Original Infection Source
The film also offers a fairly interesting reason for the source of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a new sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. While we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the film had spent a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a deadly elixir that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Despite the lack of context, the effect this affliction has on people is absolutely repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see some instances of dubious decision-making (like any any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of standing still like prey in headlights as death approaches.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for everything! cliché often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they agree over the phone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been building over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to push the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This causes those instances when these characters express gratitude toward one another seem much more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight about family or community, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up scares. Yet these are successful scares, and because the movie gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome proves a captivating and enjoyable
