Generally speaking, I'm over zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for months. However, Netflix's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Excellent Rhythm and Personal Development
Among this movie's strongest assets is its superb pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene where a calm family party is violently disrupted by a van crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like individual stumbles out and begins assaulting the partygoers. This dramatic moment is immediately followed by a flashback, allowing us to see the family prior to the tragedy struck.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows the audience enough opportunity to get to know the primary personalities prior to the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured but socially awkward, and who loves playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on her. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed in the family's dynamics and their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could seem like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime depicting us who each relative represents, plus the ways they add to the overall turmoil. This emphasis on clashing personalities allowed me to connect with the characters sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, disposable victims for an army of zombies to devour, so it's a genuine surprise once events finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and the multiple household exchanges actually evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy before making a sudden turn into shocking territory. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in its world prior to it gets upended.
Original Zombification Source
The film also offers a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. Although 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 trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the lack of background, the impact this affliction produces on humans proves absolutely repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a bold decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and they're practically guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, there are a few examples of questionable decision-making (like any typical undead film), however generally, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like prey caught in lights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, this proved a pleasantly realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for everything! cliché often seen in end-of-world films. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. But when Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been building over time. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to push the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters express appreciation toward one another feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound message regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up frights. Yet these are effective scares, and since the movie gives each character enough room to grow and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the result is a captivating and enjoyable
