Generally speaking, I'm over zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems mostly depleted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations turning out quite entertaining.
Impressive Rhythm and Personal Development
Among this movie's greatest assets lies in the superb pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene where a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the seating section. Out of the van, a very zombie-like individual stumbles out proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This intense scene is immediately followed by a flashback, allowing us to see the family before the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough opportunity to get to know the primary personalities prior to the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a ex close friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—an obviously awkward situation. This has understandably caused a falling out among the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and he loves playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. The family head consists of her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion is extremely strained.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so invested with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts to the point I nearly overlooked I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant amount of its runtime to showing us who each relative is, and how they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on clashing traits allowed the audience to connect with the characters enough to care about their fate—a rare accomplishment in a genre that often introduces characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock once events eventually deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening scenes of the party and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor before making a sudden turn into shocking territory. These early moments don't focus too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets upended.
Original Infection Source
The film additionally presents a fairly interesting reason for the source of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this infectious condition originates in a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about how it started, I wish the movie had spent a little more time explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a trusted purveyor of natural treatments to producing a deadly elixir which seems to contain an extremely infectious virus. Despite the limited context, the impact this condition has on humans is absolutely repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also quite realistic, and are practically certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Capable Characters
Even better compared to the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, there are some instances of questionable choices (as in typical zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the face, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object is available instead of standing still like a deer in headlights while danger nears.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, this proved a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope frequently used in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been building over time. Nes isn't perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film doesn't try to promote the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters do show appreciation for each other feel much more genuine.
Stereotypical Ending
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the conclusion is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound message about family or society, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering scares. Yet these are successful scares, and since the movie gives each character sufficient space to develop and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the result proves a captivating and enjoyable
