Generally speaking, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for months. However, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Development
One of the film's strongest assets is its superb pacing. It begins with a striking opening sequence where a calm family gathering is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the guest area. Out of the van, a very undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a flashback, giving viewers to observe the family before the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir actually gives viewers enough time to get to know the primary characters prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose ex best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. This has understandably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as good-natured yet a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. This household head is her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who seems focused on only two aspects: his work and his wife to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion is extremely tense.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so invested with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of its runtime depicting viewers who each family member represents, and how they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities enabled the audience to relate with the characters sufficiently to care about their outcome—a rare feat for this style which frequently presents characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a genuine surprise when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story that masquerades like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark humor prior to taking a sudden shift toward shocking ground. These introductory scenes don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless gives enough time to immerse in its world prior to it gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Origin
This movie additionally presents a fairly interesting explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Rather than an accidental lab leak or some sort of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a new sample from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. Although some background is provided something regarding how it started, I wish the film devoted a little more time explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of natural treatments to producing a deadly potion that appears to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the limited context, the impact this condition has on people proves utterly disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear quite convincing, and they're almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
Even better than the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of questionable choices (as in typical zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with whatever heavy object is available instead of standing still like prey in headlights as death approaches.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, this proved a pleasantly authentic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains holding onto bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family gets separated, they agree over the phone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been building over time. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This causes those instances when these characters express gratitude toward one another seem much more genuine.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight about family or community, either. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. Yet these are effective scares, and because the movie gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome proves an engaging and entertaining
