Generally speaking, I'm over zombie movies. Although classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, the genre feels mostly exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. But, Netflix's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.
Superb Rhythm and Personal Growth
Among this movie's greatest strengths is its excellent rhythm. It kicks off using a memorable initial scene where a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted when a van crashes into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like stranger emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This dramatic scene is immediately followed by a flashback, allowing us to see the family before the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly allows viewers enough time to get to know its main characters before the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former close friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and he enjoys gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to her. This household head is Nes' father, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely tense.
Engaged in the Drama
I became so invested in the family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost overlooked this was a horror film—which might sound like a drawback, yet ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime depicting us who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents individuals just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a real shock when things finally go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple family interactions in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy prior to taking an abrupt shift into "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough time to settle into the setting prior to it gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Origin
This movie also offers a quite interesting explanation for the source of the contagious zombification. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, I wish the movie devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal potion which seems to include a highly contagious virus. Despite the lack of background, the impact this affliction has on people proves utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a bold decision, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and are practically certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Capable Personalities
Even better than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Of course, we see some instances of dubious choices (as in any good zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or hit it over the head with the nearest heavy object they find instead of freezing like a deer in headlights while danger nears.
Believable Family Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes loves her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also apparent she remains clinging to bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they decide over the phone to regroup at a close spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes the moments where these individuals express appreciation toward one another feel much more genuine.
Predictable Conclusion
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting some profound insight about family or community, either. Instead, it's primarily serving up scares. Yet these are successful scares, and since the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is a captivating and entertaining
