Typically, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category feels largely depleted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. However, Netflix's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated and proved quite entertaining.
Impressive Rhythm and Personal Development
Among the film's strongest assets lies in the excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable initial scene where a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This dramatic scene is then followed by a look back, allowing us to observe this household before the disaster struck.
Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough time to become acquainted with its main personalities before the carnage begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a rift among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on Nes. This household patriarch is Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who seems to care about only two things: his work and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely tense.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so invested in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of the film to showing us the identity of every relative is, and how they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities allowed me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often introduces characters only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening sequences of the party and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades like a Korean drama with somewhat morbid comedy prior to making a sudden shift into shocking territory. These early scenes aren't centered too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in its world prior to everything gets upended.
Unique Infection Origin
The film also offers a fairly interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of a unintended lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the cause for this infectious condition stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although some background is provided something regarding its origins, I wish the movie devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of natural treatments to producing a lethal elixir that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the limited context, the impact this condition produces on humans proves utterly repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a bold choice, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear quite convincing, and are practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
Even better than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are some instances of dubious choices (like any any good undead film), 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 on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument they find rather than freezing like prey in headlights as death nears.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes on family conflict when people begin transforming into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes loves her family and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains clinging to bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby spot. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This makes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude toward one another seem much more genuine.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up frights. But they're effective frights, and since the movie gives each character enough room to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and enjoyable
