🔗 Share this article

Generally speaking, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems mostly exhausted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been 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 Pacing and Personal Development

One of this movie's greatest assets is its excellent rhythm. It begins with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly disrupted by a vehicle plows right into the guest area. Out of the van, a very undead-looking individual stumbles out and begins attacking the partygoers. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a flashback, giving viewers to observe this household prior to the tragedy occurred.

In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary characters prior to the carnage begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has understandably led to a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on Nes. The family patriarch is her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two things: his work and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely strained.

Invested in the Conflict

I found myself so invested in the household's issues along with their interpersonal drama that I almost overlooked this was a horror film—something that could seem like a drawback, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film to showing viewers the identity of every family member is, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities allowed me to connect to the personalities enough to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon feat in a genre which frequently presents characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to consume, thus it's a genuine surprise once events finally deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening sequences from the gathering and various family interactions actually evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama with somewhat morbid humor prior to making a sudden turn into shocking territory. These early moments don't focus as much on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough opportunity to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.

Unique Infection Source

The film also offers a fairly intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than a unintended lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the cause of this infectious condition stems from a recent sample of Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, I wish the movie devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly potion that appears to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited background, the effect this affliction has on people is absolutely repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a bold choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and are practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.

Capable Personalities

Even better compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of dubious decision-making (like any any good zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument is available instead of standing still like prey in headlights as death approaches.

Realistic Family Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, which was a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they agree over the phone to regroup at a close spot. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances when these characters do show appreciation for each other seem much more genuine.

Predictable Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound message about family or community, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are successful frights, and since the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result proves an engaging and entertaining