The streaming giant's Surprising New Zombie Movie Injects Fresh Air into a Tired Genre

For the most part, I'm over apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, this category feels mostly exhausted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. But, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved quite entertaining.

Impressive Pacing and Personal Development

Among the film's strongest assets is its excellent pacing. It begins with a striking opening sequence in which a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted by a van crashes into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely undead-looking individual emerges proceeding assaulting the attendees. This dramatic scene is then followed by a look back, allowing us to observe the family before the tragedy struck.

In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir actually allows viewers sufficient time to get to know its main personalities prior to the carnage begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a former close friend, Karina, is now wed to her dad—an obviously awkward situation. This has understandably caused a falling out among the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured but socially awkward, and who loves playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family patriarch is Nes' father, the owner of a well-known herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two things: his work and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves extremely tense.

Invested in the Drama

I found myself so engrossed in the family's dynamics and their interpersonal drama that I nearly forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a negative, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of the film to showing viewers the identity of every relative is, and how they add to the overall turmoil. This emphasis on conflicting traits enabled me to relate with the characters enough to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon feat in a genre that often presents characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for an army of zombies to consume, thus it's a genuine surprise when things finally go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial sequences of the party and the multiple family interactions in fact evoke the film Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to making an abrupt shift into shocking ground. These early moments don't focus as much on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting before everything gets turned upside down.

Unique Infection Source

This movie additionally presents a quite interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the cause of this infectious condition stems from a new sample of Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the film had spent additional focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to creating a lethal elixir that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited background, the impact this condition produces on humans is utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics are also quite realistic, and are practically guaranteed to provoke a fear of holes.

Capable Personalities

More impressive than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some instances of dubious choices (as in any good undead film), however generally, Nes and her relatives show themselves resourceful and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick a zombie in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object they find rather than freezing like prey caught in lights as death nears.

Believable Family Strike

The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord once individuals begin transforming into zombies, this proved a welcome realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope frequently used in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes cares for her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also apparent she's still holding onto resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. When the family becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. However, once 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—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and understandable since the movie doesn't try to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes the moments when these characters do show appreciation for each other seem much more sincere.

Stereotypical Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound insight about family or society, either. Rather, it's primarily serving up scares. But they're effective scares, and because the film allows every personality enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for their imperfections, the outcome is a captivating and enjoyable