Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems mostly depleted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for months. However, Netflix's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Impressive Pacing and Character Development
Among the film's greatest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It begins using a striking opening sequence where a calm family gathering is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking individual emerges proceeding attacking the partygoers. This dramatic scene is then followed by a look back, giving viewers to see the family before the disaster occurred.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows the audience sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities prior to the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother with a ex close friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—an obviously awkward situation. Naturally, this has understandably caused a rift between the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted but socially awkward, and who loves gaming alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have lately been unfaithful to her. This household head consists of Nes' father, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and he appears focused on just two things: his work and his wife to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves incredibly tense.
Engaged in the Conflict
I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime depicting viewers the identity of every relative is, and how they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting traits allowed me to connect to the personalities enough to care about their fate—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often introduces individuals only to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges actually evoke the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy before taking an abrupt turn into shocking territory. These early moments don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, but The Elixir still provides enough opportunity to settle into its world prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Origin
This movie also offers a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a new sample from Wani Waras natural medicines created by her dad. While we do learn a bit about how it started, I wish the film devoted additional time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a deadly potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious virus. Despite the lack of context, the effect this condition produces on people is utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a bold choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also very realistic, and are almost guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
Even better than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, there are some instances of dubious choices (like any typical undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and sharp. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find rather than standing still like a deer in headlights while danger approaches.
Believable Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals start turning to the undead, which was a welcome realistic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died so I instantly forgive you for everything! trope often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration on her brother which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem authentic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that a near-death experience instantly cures familial strife. This causes the moments when these characters do show appreciation for each other seem far more genuine.
Stereotypical Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep message regarding relatives or community, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. But they're successful scares, and because the movie allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is a captivating and entertaining
