Typically, I'm over zombie movies. Although classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category feels largely depleted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. But, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations turning out quite entertaining.
Superb Pacing and Character Growth
One of this movie's greatest assets lies in the superb rhythm. It begins using a memorable initial scene in which a peaceful family party is violently disrupted by a vehicle plows right into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like individual emerges proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to observe the family before the disaster occurred.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually gives viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose ex close friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. This has predictably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on Nes. The family head is Nes' father, who runs a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves extremely strained.
Invested in the Drama
I became so invested with this household's issues and their personal conflicts to the point I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—which might seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film to showing viewers who each relative represents, and how they add to the overall turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed me to relate to the personalities enough to care about their fate—a rare feat in a genre which frequently presents characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a genuine surprise when things finally go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and various family interactions actually evoke the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades like a Korean drama with somewhat morbid humor before taking an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" territory. These introductory scenes don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Origin
This movie additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious zombification. Instead of a unintended lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the cause of this infectious condition originates in a new batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the limited context, the impact this condition produces on humans is utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a bold decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite realistic, and are almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive compared to the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see some examples of questionable choices (as in typical undead film), but generally, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find rather than freezing like prey in headlights while danger approaches.
Realistic Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict once individuals start turning into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic deviation 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 cares for her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. When the family gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel realistic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to push the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This causes the moments where these individuals express gratitude for each other seem much more genuine.
Predictable Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep message about family or society, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are effective frights, and because the film gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome is a captivating and entertaining
