Typically, I've had my fill of undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category seems largely depleted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.
Superb Rhythm and Character Growth
One of this movie's greatest assets lies in the superb pacing. It begins using a memorable initial scene where a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted by a van plows right into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger emerges and begins attacking the attendees. This intense scene is then followed by a flashback, allowing us to see this household before the tragedy struck.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers enough opportunity to get to know its main characters before the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has predictably led to a falling out among the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and who loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household patriarch consists of her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about just two things: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so invested with this household's issues and their interpersonal drama that I nearly overlooked this was a scary movie—something that could seem like a drawback, yet ultimately paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing viewers the identity of every relative is, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing traits allowed me to connect with the characters sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents individuals just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and various family interactions in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a Korean drama with somewhat morbid humor prior to making a sudden shift toward shocking territory. These early moments aren't centered too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to immerse in the setting before it gets upended.
Unique Zombification Source
The film also offers a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended lab leak or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this infectious condition stems from a recent sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. While we do learn something regarding how it started, I wish the film devoted additional time on how Wani Waras went from a reputable supplier of holistic medicine to producing a deadly elixir that appears to contain an extremely infectious virus. Despite the lack of context, the effect this affliction produces on people is absolutely repulsive, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear very convincing, and are practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, there are a few instances of dubious choices (like any typical zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and sharp. They also aren't afraid to strike an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available rather than freezing like a deer in headlights as death approaches.
Believable Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people start turning into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes loves her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to promote the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This causes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude toward one another feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep insight regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up scares. But they're effective frights, and because the film allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and entertaining
