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Generally speaking, I've had my fill of undead films. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, the genre feels largely exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for some time. However, the platform's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.

Impressive Pacing and Character Development

Among this movie's strongest assets is its superb rhythm. It begins with a memorable opening sequence where a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted when a vehicle plows into the guest area. Out of the van, a very zombie-like individual emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This intense scene is immediately followed by a flashback, giving viewers to observe the family before the disaster struck.

Unlike many undead movies, The Elixir actually allows the audience sufficient opportunity to get to know its main personalities before the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable situation. This has predictably led to a falling out between Nes and Karina. Then there's her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and who enjoys gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to her. The family head is Nes' father, the owner of a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and he seems to care about just two aspects: his work and his marriage to Nes' ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves incredibly strained.

Invested in the Drama

I became so invested in the household's issues and their personal conflicts to the point I almost forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could sound like a drawback, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable portion of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member represents, plus the ways they add to the general turmoil. This focus on conflicting traits enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their outcome—an uncommon accomplishment for this style that often introduces characters only to eliminate them 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 genuine shock once events finally deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a Korean drama with somewhat morbid humor prior to making an abrupt shift into shocking ground. These introductory moments don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to immerse in the setting prior to it gets upended.

Original Infection Origin

The film also offers a fairly intriguing reason for the source of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended lab leak or some sort of bioweapon, the cause for this contagious disease originates in a new sample from Wani Waras herbal remedies created by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about its origins, I wish the film had spent additional focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the lack of background, the effect this condition has on humans proves utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and are practically guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.

Capable Personalities

Even better compared to the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see a few instances of dubious decision-making (like any any good zombie movie), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to strike a zombie in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with whatever blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like prey in headlights as death approaches.

Believable Familial Discord

The Elixir doesn't drop its focus on family conflict once individuals begin transforming to the undead, this proved a welcome authentic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes loves her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still clinging to resentment regarding his infidelity of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they decide via telephone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—feel realistic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals do show gratitude for each other feel far more genuine.

Predictable Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending is admittedly a bit formulaic. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight regarding relatives or society, as well. Rather, it's mostly delivering scares. But they're successful frights, and since the movie allows every personality enough room to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result is a captivating and enjoyable