🔗 Share this article

For the most part, I'm over undead films. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category seems mostly depleted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. But, Netflix's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.

Impressive Pacing and Personal Development

One of this movie's strongest assets lies in the excellent rhythm. It begins using a memorable initial scene where a calm family party gets suddenly interrupted when a van plows into the seating section. Out of the van, a very zombie-like individual stumbles out and begins assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see this household prior to the disaster occurred.

In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir actually gives the audience enough time to become acquainted with its main personalities before the carnage ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former close friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has predictably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on Nes. The family patriarch is her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and he appears to care about just two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly strained.

Engaged in the Drama

I became so invested in the household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I almost overlooked this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime depicting us who each family member is, plus the ways they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents characters only to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to consume, thus it's a genuine shock when things finally deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial scenes of the party and various family interactions actually evoke the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama with slightly dark comedy prior to taking an abrupt shift toward shocking ground. These introductory moments don't focus as much on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough opportunity to settle into its world prior to it gets turned upside down.

Unique Infection Source

The film also offers a quite intriguing reason for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than a unintended lab leak or a type of biological weapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a new sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the film had spent additional focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal elixir that appears to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition has on humans proves absolutely disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a bold choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics are also very realistic, and are practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.

Capable Personalities

Even better than the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see a few examples of dubious decision-making (as in any good undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find rather than standing still like a deer in headlights while danger approaches.

Believable Family Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes loves her family and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still holding onto bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they decide over the phone to regroup at a nearby location. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—seem realistic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the idea that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This makes the moments when these characters express gratitude toward one another feel far more genuine.

Stereotypical Ending

In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep insight regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up frights. But they're successful frights, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and enjoyable