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Typically, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre feels largely exhausted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. But, the platform's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations turning out quite enjoyable.

Superb Rhythm and Character Growth

One of the film's greatest strengths is its superb pacing. It begins using a striking initial scene in which a calm family party gets suddenly disrupted when a van crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the attendees. This intense scene is then followed by a flashback, allowing us to see this household before the tragedy occurred.

Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary personalities before the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose former close friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable situation. This has predictably caused a rift among Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and who enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. This household head is Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy company named Wani Waras, and he seems focused on just two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves extremely tense.

Engaged in the Drama

I found myself so engrossed with this household's issues and their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant amount of the film depicting viewers the identity of every relative represents, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing traits enabled the audience to relate to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style which frequently presents individuals just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, disposable victims for a horde of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock when things finally go wrong.

Reminiscent of Parasite

The opening scenes from the gathering and various household exchanges actually bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a K-Drama featuring somewhat morbid comedy prior to taking an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" territory. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless gives enough opportunity to immerse in its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.

Unique Zombification Origin

This movie additionally presents a fairly interesting explanation regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Rather than an accidental lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a recent sample of Wani Waras natural medicines developed by Nes' father. Although we do learn something regarding its origins, I wish the movie devoted additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir which seems to include a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the limited background, the effect this affliction produces on humans is absolutely repulsive, and I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear very convincing, and they're almost certain to provoke a fear of holes.

Resourceful Characters

More impressive than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are a few examples of dubious choices (as in typical undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like prey in headlights while danger nears.

Believable Family Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals begin transforming into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still holding onto bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they agree via telephone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been building for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—feel realistic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to promote the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals express appreciation toward one another seem far more sincere.

Stereotypical Ending

Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight regarding relatives or society, as well. Rather, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are effective scares, and since the film allows every personality sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome proves an engaging and entertaining