For the most part, I'm over zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre feels largely depleted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. However, Netflix's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations turning out remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Development
One of the film's strongest assets lies in the excellent rhythm. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence in which a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted by a van plows right into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins assaulting the partygoers. This dramatic scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see the family before the tragedy struck.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly gives the audience sufficient time to get to know its main personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother with a ex close friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—a clearly awkward situation. This has predictably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and he enjoys gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on Nes. This household patriarch is her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two things: his work and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering proves extremely strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I became so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of its runtime depicting us the identity of every family member is, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre which frequently introduces characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a real surprise when things finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a K-Drama with slightly dark comedy prior to making an abrupt turn into shocking ground. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless gives enough time to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation for the source of the spreading transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease originates in a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. While 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 went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the lack of context, the effect this affliction produces on humans proves absolutely repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and are almost certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
Even better than the disgusting scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, we see some instances of dubious decision-making (like any any good zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and sharp. They also 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 standing still like prey in headlights as death nears.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome authentic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her spouse, 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 decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration toward Bang that's clearly been building over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her family—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This makes the moments when these characters express gratitude for each other seem far more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or community, as well. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're successful scares, and because the movie allows every personality enough room to develop and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the result proves an engaging and entertaining
