Typically, 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, the genre seems largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated and proved remarkably enjoyable.
Excellent Rhythm and Character Growth
One of this movie's greatest strengths lies in the excellent rhythm. It kicks off using a memorable initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly interrupted by a vehicle crashes right into the seating section. Out of the van, a very zombie-like stranger stumbles out proceeding assaulting the attendees. This dramatic scene is then succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see the family prior to the disaster struck.
Unlike many zombie films, The Elixir actually gives the audience enough time to get to know the primary personalities prior to the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose ex best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has predictably caused a falling out among Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and he loves playing video games with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. This household patriarch consists of her dad, the owner of a well-known natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and he seems to care about just two aspects: his work and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this gathering is incredibly strained.
Engaged in the Drama
I became so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama that I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a drawback, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant amount of the film depicting us the identity of every family member represents, plus the ways they contribute to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting traits allowed the audience to connect with the characters enough to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre that often presents characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to consume, thus it's a real shock when things eventually go wrong.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story that masquerades like a Korean drama with slightly dark humor prior to making a sudden shift toward "holy shit" territory. These early scenes don't focus as much on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir still provides enough opportunity to settle into its world before it gets turned upside down.
Unique Zombification Origin
The film additionally presents a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease originates in a new sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about how it started, I wish the film had spent additional time explaining how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir which seems to include an extremely infectious pathogen. Regardless of the limited background, the effect this condition has on people proves absolutely disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies are quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a daring choice, but it works. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI also appear quite convincing, and are practically certain to provoke a fear of holes.
Resourceful Personalities
More impressive than the disgusting moments is the cast themselves. Of course, there are some instances of questionable decision-making (as in typical zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her family are inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available rather than standing still like prey in headlights while danger nears.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict when people begin transforming into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in apocalyptic movies. Obviously, Nes loves her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a nearby spot. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been brewing for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable because the film doesn't try to push the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This causes the moments where these individuals do show appreciation for each other feel much more sincere.
Stereotypical Ending
In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting any deep insight regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're successful scares, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and entertaining
