Generally speaking, I'm over undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre seems largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations turning out quite enjoyable.
Impressive Rhythm and Character Growth
Among this movie's strongest strengths is its excellent pacing. It kicks off with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family party gets suddenly disrupted by a vehicle crashes into the seating section. Out of the van, a very undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is then followed by a flashback, giving viewers to observe the family prior to the tragedy occurred.
Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually gives viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has predictably caused a falling out between the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and he loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on Nes. This household head is Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two things: his business and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is extremely tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I became so engrossed with this household's issues along with their interpersonal drama that I almost overlooked this was a scary movie—something that could seem like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant amount of the film depicting us who each relative represents, and how they contribute to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting personalities allowed me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon feat in a genre that often presents individuals only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a genuine surprise once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a K-Drama with slightly dark comedy before making an abrupt shift toward shocking ground. These early moments don't focus too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting before it gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
This movie also offers a quite intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended lab leak or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease stems from a new sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. Although some background is provided a bit about its origins, I wish the movie had spent additional focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion which seems to contain a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited context, the impact this affliction produces on people proves utterly disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also quite convincing, and are almost guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of dubious choices (like any any good undead film), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike an undead in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with the nearest blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like a deer in headlights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming into zombies, which was a welcome authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for everything! cliché frequently used in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they decide over the phone to meet up at a close location. But when Bang admits he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters express gratitude for each other seem much more genuine.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up frights. But they're effective scares, and because the movie gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
