Typically, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category seems mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for some time. However, Netflix's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.
Superb Pacing and Personal Development
Among the film's greatest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It begins with a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family gathering is violently interrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, a very zombie-like stranger emerges and begins assaulting the partygoers. This dramatic scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see the family before the disaster occurred.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually gives viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main characters prior to the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a former close friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. This has understandably caused a rift among the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to her. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company named Wani Waras, and he appears focused on just two aspects: his business and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I became so invested in the household's issues along with their interpersonal drama that I almost forgot I was watching a horror film—which might seem like a negative, but ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of the film to showing viewers who each relative is, and how they add to the general turmoil. This focus on clashing traits allowed me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat in a genre which frequently introduces individuals just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to consume, thus it's a real shock when things finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and various household exchanges actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama with slightly dark humor prior to making a sudden shift into shocking territory. These early scenes don't focus as much on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough time to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Source
This movie also offers a fairly interesting explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a recent batch from Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the film had spent a little more time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal potion which seems to include an extremely infectious virus. Regardless of the limited background, the impact this condition has on people proves absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a daring choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite realistic, and they're almost certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better compared to the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see a few examples of questionable decision-making (like any typical zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike an undead in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object they find rather than freezing like a deer in headlights as death approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope frequently used in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes loves her family and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a close location. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters express gratitude toward one another feel much more genuine.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep insight about family or society, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are effective scares, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result proves a captivating and entertaining
