Generally speaking, I'm over zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre feels largely exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for months. But, Netflix's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved quite entertaining.
Impressive Pacing and Personal Development
One of the film's strongest strengths lies in the superb rhythm. It kicks off with a striking opening sequence where a peaceful family party gets suddenly disrupted by a van plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the partygoers. This intense moment is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to observe this household before the disaster occurred.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir actually allows the audience enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. This has understandably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. The family head is her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and who seems focused on just two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so invested in the household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I almost overlooked this was a scary movie—which might sound like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of the film to showing viewers the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting personalities enabled the audience to relate with the characters sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon feat in a genre that often presents individuals only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things eventually go wrong.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and various family interactions in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor before making a sudden shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient opportunity to settle into its world prior to everything gets upended.
Unique Infection Source
The film also offers a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal potion which seems to include a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited background, the effect this affliction produces on people proves utterly repulsive, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and they're almost certain to trigger one's trypophobia.
Capable Characters
More impressive than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some instances of dubious choices (as in typical zombie movie), however for the most part, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object is available instead of freezing like prey caught in lights as death approaches.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for everything! cliché frequently used in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes loves her family and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes an immense level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been building over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel authentic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This makes those instances when these characters express appreciation for each other feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight regarding relatives or society, as well. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. Yet these are effective frights, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the result is an engaging and enjoyable
