Typically, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels largely depleted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. However, the platform's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Growth
One of the film's strongest assets is its superb rhythm. It kicks off using a striking opening sequence where a peaceful family gathering is violently interrupted when a vehicle plows right into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding attacking the partygoers. This dramatic moment is immediately followed by a look back, giving viewers to observe the family before the disaster occurred.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually gives viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know its main personalities prior to the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably caused a falling out between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and who loves gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on her. The family head is Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two aspects: his business and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves incredibly tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each family member is, and how they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting traits allowed the audience to connect with the characters sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often introduces characters just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, so it's a genuine surprise once events eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and various household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark humor before making a sudden turn toward "holy shit" ground. These early scenes aren't centered too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides enough opportunity to immerse in its world before everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
This movie additionally presents a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of an accidental lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the source of this contagious disease stems from a new batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. Although we do learn something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent additional time explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition produces on people is utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This is a daring choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and they're practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
More impressive than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of questionable decision-making (as in typical zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with the nearest heavy object they find rather than standing still like prey in headlights while danger approaches.
Realistic Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for everything! trope often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been brewing for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to push the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters do show gratitude for each other seem far more genuine.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep insight regarding relatives or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. But they're successful frights, and since the film allows every personality enough room to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and enjoyable
