For the most part, I'm over undead films. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, this category feels mostly depleted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. However, the platform's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy what I anticipated and proved remarkably entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Development
Among the film's greatest assets lies in the excellent rhythm. It begins using a memorable initial scene where a calm family gathering is violently interrupted when a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This intense moment is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to observe this household before the tragedy occurred.
Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives the audience sufficient opportunity to get to know its main personalities before the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a ex close friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—a clearly uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a rift among the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and he enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on her. This household head is her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company named Wani Waras, and who seems to care about just two things: his business and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion is extremely tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I became so invested in the family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama to the point I nearly overlooked I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each relative represents, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities allowed the audience to relate to the personalities enough to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon feat for this style which frequently presents characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, so it's a real shock once events finally go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and various family interactions in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor before making an abrupt shift into shocking territory. These early moments aren't centered too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient time to settle into the setting before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Source
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the contagious zombification. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this infectious condition originates in a new batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. Although we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the film had spent a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to producing a lethal potion which seems to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited context, the impact this affliction has on people is absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a bold decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and are almost guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of dubious decision-making (as in any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. They also aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with the nearest heavy object is available rather than standing still like prey caught in lights as death nears.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming into zombies, this proved a welcome authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still holding onto resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. However, once Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel realistic and understandable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This makes the moments when these characters do show gratitude toward one another feel much more genuine.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight about family or community, either. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are effective scares, and since the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and enjoyable
