For the most part, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre seems mostly depleted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, Netflix's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations turning out quite entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Character Development
One of this movie's strongest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It begins with a striking opening sequence in which a calm family party is violently disrupted by a vehicle crashes right into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is immediately followed by a look back, giving viewers to see the family before the tragedy struck.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough opportunity to get to know its main personalities before the chaos begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has understandably led to a falling out among Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured but socially awkward, and he enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently cheated on Nes. The family head is Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two aspects: his business and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked this was a horror film—which might sound like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime to showing us the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they contribute to the general turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—a rare feat for this style that often presents characters only to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of zombies to consume, so it's a real surprise when things eventually deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes 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 a sudden turn toward shocking ground. These introductory moments don't focus as much on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting prior to it gets upended.
Original Zombification Origin
The film also offers a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading zombification. Instead of a unintended lab leak or a type of biological weapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about its origins, I wish the movie had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to creating a deadly potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited context, the effect this condition has on humans is absolutely disgusting, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring choice, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also quite realistic, and they're almost certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Capable Characters
Even better than the disgusting scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, there are some examples of dubious choices (like any typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or hit it over the head with whatever heavy object is available instead of freezing like prey caught in lights while danger approaches.
Realistic Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming into zombies, this proved a pleasantly realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for everything! trope frequently used in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes loves her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains clinging to resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to meet up at a close spot. However, once Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals express appreciation for each other seem far more genuine.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep insight about family or society, either. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are effective scares, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to develop and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result proves a captivating and enjoyable
