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 mostly exhausted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations turning out remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Growth
Among the film's greatest assets is its excellent rhythm. It begins with a striking opening sequence where a peaceful family gathering is violently disrupted by a vehicle crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger emerges and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense moment is then succeeded by a look back, giving viewers to see this household before the disaster occurred.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers sufficient time to become acquainted with its main characters prior to the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother whose former best friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. This has predictably caused a falling out between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on her. The family patriarch consists of Nes' father, the owner of a popular natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two things: his business and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly tense.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested in the household's issues along with their interpersonal drama that I almost overlooked this was a horror film—something that could sound like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of the film depicting viewers who each family member is, and how they contribute to the overall turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting personalities enabled me to connect with the characters sufficiently to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre that often introduces characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to consume, thus it's a real shock once events eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades as a K-Drama with somewhat morbid humor before making a sudden turn into shocking ground. These early moments don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides sufficient time to settle into its world prior to it gets upended.
Original Zombification Origin
This movie additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Instead of an accidental lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch 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 movie devoted additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly potion which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the lack of context, the impact this affliction has on people proves absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite convincing, and are almost certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better compared to the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of questionable decision-making (like any any good undead film), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find instead of freezing like a deer caught in lights as death nears.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming into zombies, this proved a pleasantly authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché often seen in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they agree over the phone to meet up at a close spot. However, once Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals express gratitude toward one another seem far more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are successful scares, and since the film allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and enjoyable
