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Generally speaking, I'm over zombie movies. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category feels mostly depleted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. But, the platform's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.

Excellent Rhythm and Personal Development

One of this movie's greatest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off with a memorable initial scene where a calm family gathering is violently interrupted when a van crashes into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This dramatic scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see this household before the disaster occurred.

Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows viewers enough opportunity to get to know its main characters before the carnage ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become married to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. Naturally, this has predictably caused a rift among the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and who loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family head consists of Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company named Wani Waras, and who appears focused on only two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely tense.

Engaged in the Conflict

I became so engrossed in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I nearly overlooked this was a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon feat in a genre that often introduces characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock once events eventually go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening scenes of the party and various family interactions in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy prior to making an abrupt shift toward shocking territory. These early scenes don't focus as much on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to immerse in its world before it gets turned upside down.

Original Infection Source

The film additionally presents a fairly interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, I wish the movie had spent additional time explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir which seems to include a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited background, the effect this condition has on people is utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a bold decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also very convincing, and they're almost guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.

Capable Characters

Even better compared to the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Certainly, there are some examples of questionable decision-making (as in typical undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it over the head with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like a deer caught in lights while danger approaches.

Believable Family Strike

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals start turning to the undead, this proved a pleasantly realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for everything! trope often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she remains clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to push the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals express gratitude toward one another seem much more sincere.

Stereotypical Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or community, either. Rather, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are successful scares, and because the film allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and enjoyable