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Typically, I've grown tired of zombie movies. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category feels largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for some time. However, the platform's new Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.

Excellent Pacing and Character Growth

Among this movie's strongest strengths lies in the superb pacing. It begins with a striking initial scene where a calm family gathering gets suddenly disrupted when a van plows into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like stranger stumbles out and begins attacking the partygoers. This dramatic moment is then followed by a look back, allowing us to see this household before the disaster struck.

Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir actually allows viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, has become wed to her dad—an obviously awkward dynamic. This has understandably led to a rift among the two women. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently cheated on her. This household patriarch consists of Nes' father, the owner of a popular natural medicine company called Wani Waras, and who seems focused on just two things: his work and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly tense.

Engaged in the Drama

I became so engrossed in the family's dynamics along with their interpersonal drama to the point I almost overlooked this was a horror film—which might sound like a drawback, yet in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each family member is, and how they contribute to the overall turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits enabled me to relate with the characters enough to be concerned for their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often presents characters just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as flat, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a genuine surprise once events eventually go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades as a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy before taking an abrupt shift into shocking ground. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides enough time to immerse in the setting before it gets turned upside down.

Original Zombification Origin

The film also offers a fairly interesting reason for the source of the spreading zombification. Rather than a unintended lab leak or a type of bioweapon, the source of this infectious condition originates in a recent sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. Although we do learn something regarding its origins, it would have been better if the film had spent a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Despite the limited context, the effect this condition has on people is absolutely repulsive, 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 succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and are practically certain to trigger one's trypophobia.

Resourceful Personalities

Even better compared to the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of questionable choices (as in typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever heavy object is available instead of freezing like a deer caught in lights while danger approaches.

Realistic Familial Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people begin transforming into zombies, which was a welcome realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope often seen in end-of-world films. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains holding onto resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they agree over the phone to regroup at a nearby location. But when Bang reveals he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes expresses an immense level of irritation on her brother that's clearly been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her family—flawed as it is—feel authentic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to promote the idea that nearly dying instantly cures family tensions. This causes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude toward one another seem far more genuine.

Stereotypical Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly presenting some profound message about family or community, either. Rather, it's primarily delivering scares. But they're effective frights, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves a captivating and enjoyable