For the most part, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels largely depleted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. But, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.
Superb Pacing and Personal Development
One of the film's strongest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It begins with a striking initial scene where a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly disrupted by a vehicle crashes into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to observe the family before the disaster occurred.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough opportunity to get to know its main characters prior to the carnage begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose ex best friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a rift between the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and who enjoys gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on her. This household patriarch consists of her dad, the owner of a well-known herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two things: his business and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely tense.
Invested in the Drama
I found myself so engrossed in the household's issues along with their interpersonal drama that I nearly overlooked this was a horror film—which might seem like a negative, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of the film depicting us the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing traits enabled me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents individuals just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a genuine surprise when things finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening sequences from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor before making an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" territory. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough time to immerse in its world prior to it gets upended.
Unique Infection Origin
This movie also offers a fairly intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. Although we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir that appears to include a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the limited background, the effect this condition has on people proves absolutely repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and they're practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
Even better than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of questionable choices (like any typical undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument they find rather than standing still like a deer in headlights while danger nears.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a pleasantly authentic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes loves her family and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to promote the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals express gratitude for each other feel far more genuine.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound message about family or community, as well. Instead, it's primarily serving up scares. Yet these are successful scares, and because the film allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves a captivating and entertaining
