Generally speaking, I've had my fill of zombie movies. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category seems mostly exhausted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for some time. But, the platform's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out remarkably enjoyable.
Excellent Pacing and Personal Development
Among this movie's strongest strengths is its excellent pacing. It begins using a memorable initial scene where a calm family party is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like stranger stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense scene is immediately succeeded by a flashback, giving viewers to observe the family before the disaster occurred.
In contrast to many undead movies, The Elixir truly allows the audience enough time to become acquainted with the primary personalities prior to the carnage begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. Naturally, this has predictably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and he loves gaming with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family patriarch is her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and he appears focused on only two aspects: his business and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves incredibly tense.
Invested in the Conflict
I found myself so invested with this family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot this was a scary movie—something that could seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member represents, and how they add to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities allowed the audience to relate to the personalities enough to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre that often presents characters just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of zombies to devour, so it's a real shock when things finally deteriorate.
Evocative of Parasite
The initial sequences of the party and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor before taking a sudden turn into "holy shit" territory. These introductory scenes aren't centered as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough time to immerse in its world before everything gets turned upside down.
Original Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. While some background is provided something regarding how it started, I wish the film had spent additional focus on how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a deadly potion that appears to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the impact this affliction produces on people is utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also very convincing, and are practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.
Resourceful Characters
More impressive compared to the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few examples of dubious choices (as in typical zombie movie), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. They also aren't afraid to kick an undead in the face, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available rather than standing still like a deer caught in lights as death nears.
Believable Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché frequently used in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains clinging to bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close location. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes an immense level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes is not perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel realistic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This makes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude for each other feel much more sincere.
Predictable Ending
Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up any deep insight regarding relatives or society, as well. Rather, it's primarily delivering frights. But they're effective frights, and since the film allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and enjoyable
