Generally speaking, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre seems largely exhausted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Character Development
One of the film's greatest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking individual stumbles out and begins attacking the attendees. This intense scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see the family prior to the disaster struck.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly allows viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities before the carnage ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose former best friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably caused a rift among the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured but socially awkward, and he enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on Nes. This household head consists of her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and he seems focused on just two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion is incredibly strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so invested with this household's issues and their interpersonal drama that I almost forgot this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting traits allowed the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents characters just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, disposable victims for a horde of zombies to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions actually evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades as a K-Drama with slightly dark comedy before taking an abrupt turn into "holy shit" territory. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Original Infection Source
The film additionally presents a quite interesting reason for the source of the contagious transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Regardless of the lack of context, the impact this condition produces on people proves absolutely repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and are almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
More impressive compared to the disgusting scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of dubious choices (as in any good zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her family are resourceful and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument is available rather than freezing like a deer caught in lights while danger nears.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope frequently used in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she remains holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration on her brother that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to push the idea that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances when these characters do show gratitude for each other feel far more genuine.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep message about family or society, either. Instead, it's primarily serving up scares. Yet these are successful frights, and because the movie gives each character enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is a captivating and enjoyable
