Generally speaking, I'm over zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre seems mostly depleted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.
Excellent Rhythm and Character Development
Among this movie's greatest assets is its excellent rhythm. It begins with a striking opening sequence where a peaceful family party gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking individual stumbles out and begins assaulting the partygoers. This intense moment is then succeeded by a flashback, giving viewers to observe the family prior to the tragedy struck.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir truly gives the audience sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with its main characters prior to the carnage ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose ex close friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has predictably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and he loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on Nes. The family patriarch is Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company named Wani Waras, and who appears to care about just two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is extremely tense.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so invested in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot this was a horror film—which might seem like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime depicting us the identity of every family member represents, and how they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits enabled the audience to relate to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—a rare feat for this style which frequently introduces individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to devour, so it's a real surprise when things finally go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions actually evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy before taking an abrupt shift toward "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting before it gets upended.
Unique Zombification Source
The film additionally presents a quite intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted additional focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition produces on people proves absolutely disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies are quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring decision, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and are practically certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive compared to the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see some instances of questionable choices (like any typical undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. They also aren't afraid to strike an undead in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like a deer in headlights as death nears.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict once individuals begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome authentic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she remains holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not perfect, 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 family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude for each other seem much more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending is admittedly somewhat formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep insight about family or community, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. But they're successful frights, and because the movie allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves a captivating and entertaining
