For the most part, I'm over zombie movies. Although classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category feels mostly exhausted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. But, Netflix's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated and proved quite entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Development
One of the film's greatest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene in which a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a van crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking individual stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense moment is immediately followed by a flashback, giving viewers to observe this household before the disaster struck.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually gives the audience sufficient time to become acquainted with its main personalities before the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a falling out among Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on Nes. The family patriarch consists of Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who seems focused on just two things: his business and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so invested in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I almost overlooked I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every relative is, and how they add to the general turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting personalities allowed me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style which frequently presents characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a real surprise once events eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama featuring slightly dark humor prior to taking an abrupt turn into "holy shit" territory. These early moments aren't centered as much on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still provides sufficient time to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Origin
This movie also offers a quite intriguing reason for the source of the spreading zombification. Rather than an accidental lab leak or some sort of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new batch from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the lack of context, the effect this condition produces on people is absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and are practically 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 questionable choices (as in any good undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and sharp. Additionally, they aren't afraid to kick an undead in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with the nearest heavy object is available instead of freezing like prey caught in lights as death approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for everything! cliché often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they decide over the phone to regroup at a nearby location. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the idea that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters do show appreciation for each other seem far more genuine.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound message regarding relatives or community, as well. Instead, it's primarily serving up frights. Yet these are effective scares, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves a captivating and entertaining
