Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. While favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were gripping, this category seems largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations turning out remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Pacing and Character Development
One of the film's strongest assets is its excellent pacing. It kicks off with a striking opening sequence where a calm family party is violently disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the guest area. Out of the van, a very undead-looking stranger stumbles out and begins assaulting the attendees. This intense moment is immediately followed by a flashback, giving viewers to see this household prior to the disaster occurred.
In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary personalities prior to the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. This has understandably caused a rift among Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and who enjoys gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on her. The family head is her dad, the owner of a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and he seems to care about only two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is extremely tense.
Engaged in the Conflict
I became so invested in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I almost overlooked I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of the film to showing us the identity of every relative is, and how they contribute to the overall turmoil. This focus on clashing personalities enabled me to relate with the characters enough to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often introduces characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, disposable victims for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine surprise when things eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The opening sequences from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story that masquerades like a Korean drama with somewhat morbid comedy before taking an abrupt shift into shocking ground. These early scenes don't focus as much on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in the setting prior to it gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film also offers a quite intriguing explanation regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the source for this contagious disease stems from a recent sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to producing a deadly potion which seems to contain an extremely infectious pathogen. Despite the lack of background, the impact this condition has on people proves utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove fast, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear very realistic, and they're practically certain to provoke one's trypophobia.
Capable Personalities
Even better than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see some examples of dubious choices (like any any good undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her family show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to strike an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with the nearest heavy object is available instead of standing still like a deer in headlights as death nears.
Realistic Family Discord
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope often seen in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes loves her family and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to regroup at a close spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to promote the idea that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This causes those instances where these individuals express appreciation toward one another feel much more sincere.
Predictable Conclusion
Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight regarding relatives or community, as well. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're effective scares, and since the film allows every personality sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and enjoyable
