Generally speaking, I've had my fill of undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, the genre seems largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. However, Netflix's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out quite enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Growth
One of the film's greatest strengths is its excellent pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like individual emerges proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense moment is immediately followed by a look back, allowing us to see the family prior to the disaster struck.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows the audience sufficient opportunity to get to know its main characters prior to the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has understandably caused a falling out between Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as good-natured yet socially awkward, and he loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family head consists of her dad, who runs a popular herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and he seems focused on just two things: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is incredibly tense.
Engaged in the Drama
I found myself so invested with this household's issues and their personal conflicts that I nearly forgot I was watching a horror film—which might sound like a drawback, yet in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film to showing viewers who each relative represents, plus the ways they contribute to the overall turmoil. This focus on conflicting personalities allowed the audience to connect to the personalities enough to care about their outcome—a rare feat in a genre that often introduces characters only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, expendable casualties for an army of the undead to devour, thus it's a real surprise once events eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening sequences of the party and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor before taking an abrupt turn into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient time to settle into its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Origin
This movie additionally presents a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a recent batch from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. While some background is provided a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a reputable supplier of natural treatments to producing a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited background, the effect this condition has on humans is utterly repulsive, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite convincing, and they're almost certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
Even better than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are some examples of dubious choices (as in typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her family are inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with the nearest heavy object they find rather than freezing like a deer caught in lights while danger approaches.
Believable Familial Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes on family conflict when people begin transforming into zombies, this proved a welcome authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes loves her family and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they decide via telephone to regroup at a nearby spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been building for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This causes those instances when these characters express gratitude toward one another feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound message regarding relatives or community, as well. Instead, it's primarily delivering frights. Yet these are successful frights, and since the movie gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves a captivating and entertaining
