Generally speaking, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems largely depleted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Development
One of the film's strongest assets lies in the superb pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family party is violently disrupted by a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is immediately succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to see the family before the disaster occurred.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually gives the audience enough opportunity to get to know the primary characters prior to the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a married mother whose former best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has predictably caused a rift between Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on Nes. This household patriarch consists of her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his wife to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is incredibly tense.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed in the household's issues and their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot this was a horror film—which might sound like a drawback, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of the film to showing us who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing traits allowed me to connect to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—a rare feat in a genre that often introduces individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to devour, so it's a real shock when things finally go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid comedy before making an abrupt shift toward shocking territory. These early moments don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting before everything gets upended.
Original Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the contagious zombification. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease originates in a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the film had spent a little more focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to producing a deadly potion which seems to contain an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited background, the effect this affliction has on humans proves absolutely repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and they're almost certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better compared to the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see some instances of dubious decision-making (as in typical undead film), but for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and sharp. They also aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like prey caught in lights as death nears.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope frequently used in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to promote the notion that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude toward one another feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep insight about family or community, either. Instead, it's primarily delivering frights. Yet these are effective frights, and since the film allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and entertaining
