Generally speaking, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were gripping, this category seems mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. However, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Character Growth
Among the film's greatest assets is its excellent rhythm. It begins with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a van plows right into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking stranger emerges and begins attacking the partygoers. This intense moment is then succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to observe this household before the tragedy occurred.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows viewers enough opportunity to get to know the primary characters before the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother whose former best friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has understandably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and who enjoys playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household patriarch is Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two things: his business and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly strained.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama to the point I nearly forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could seem like a negative, yet ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a significant amount of the film to showing viewers who each family member represents, and how they add to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing personalities allowed the audience to relate with the characters enough to care about their outcome—a rare feat in a genre that often introduces characters only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine shock once events finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and various family interactions in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a K-Drama with slightly dark humor prior to taking a sudden shift into shocking ground. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides enough opportunity to settle into the setting before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Source
This movie also offers a quite intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious zombification. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the source for this infectious condition stems from a new batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. Although we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the film devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited background, the impact this condition has on people proves utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very realistic, and they're practically certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive compared to the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of dubious choices (as in any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like prey in headlights as death nears.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes on family conflict once individuals begin transforming to the undead, this proved a pleasantly realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope frequently used in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes loves her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they agree over the phone to meet up at a close 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 brewing for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her family—flawed as it is—feel authentic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters do show gratitude for each other feel far more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or society, either. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining
