For the most part, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category seems mostly exhausted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Character Development
One of the film's greatest strengths is its superb rhythm. It begins with a memorable opening sequence where a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted by a vehicle plows right into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the partygoers. This dramatic scene is then followed by a flashback, giving viewers to see this household prior to the disaster struck.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives the audience enough time to get to know the primary characters before the carnage ensues. There's Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—an obviously awkward situation. Naturally, this has understandably caused a falling out between the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. This household patriarch consists of her dad, who runs a popular herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and he seems focused on only two things: his work and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves incredibly strained.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a drawback, but ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime to showing viewers who each family member represents, and how they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting personalities allowed the audience to connect with the characters sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon feat for this style that often introduces individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to consume, thus it's a real surprise when things eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening sequences from the gathering and the multiple family interactions in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades like a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy before making an abrupt turn into shocking territory. These early moments don't focus as much on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless gives enough time to settle into the setting prior to everything gets upended.
Original Zombification Source
The film also offers a fairly interesting explanation for the source of the spreading zombification. Instead of a unintended lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease originates in a new sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by her dad. While we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the film devoted additional time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the limited context, the effect this condition produces on humans is absolutely repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and they're almost guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive than the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of dubious decision-making (as in any good undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to strike an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument they find instead of standing still like a deer caught in lights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals start turning to the undead, this proved a pleasantly authentic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This makes those instances when these characters do show appreciation for each other seem far more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight about family or society, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are successful frights, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and enjoyable
