Generally speaking, I've had my fill of undead films. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre seems largely depleted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later has been sitting in my watchlist for months. But, Netflix's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.
Impressive Rhythm and Personal Development
One of the film's greatest strengths is its superb rhythm. It begins using a striking initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering is violently interrupted by a van crashes right into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This intense scene is then succeeded by a flashback, giving viewers to observe this household prior to the disaster struck.
In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient time to get to know its main characters prior to the carnage begins. There's Nes, a wife and mother whose former close friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has predictably led to a rift between the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured but socially awkward, and he loves playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on Nes. The family patriarch consists of her dad, who runs a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and who appears to care about just two things: his business and his wife to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion is incredibly strained.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so invested with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot this was a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of its runtime depicting viewers who each relative represents, and how they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities allowed me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre that often introduces individuals just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a real shock once events finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial sequences from the gathering and various household exchanges actually evoke the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama with somewhat morbid humor before taking an abrupt shift toward shocking territory. These early scenes don't focus as much on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides sufficient time to settle into the setting prior to everything gets upended.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film also offers a quite interesting reason for the source of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the source of this infectious condition originates in a recent batch of Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. Although some background is provided something regarding how it started, I wish the film had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly elixir which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the impact this affliction produces on people is utterly disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This represents a daring decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite realistic, and they're almost certain to trigger a fear of holes.
Capable Personalities
More impressive compared to the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, there are a few instances of dubious decision-making (as in typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her relatives are resourceful and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with whatever heavy object they find instead of standing still like prey in headlights as death approaches.
Realistic Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a welcome realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" cliché frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains holding onto resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a close location. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—feel realistic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude for each other feel far more genuine.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep message about family or society, either. Instead, it's mostly delivering frights. Yet these are effective frights, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and entertaining
