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Generally speaking, I've had my fill of undead films. 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 highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains gathering dust in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert what I anticipated turning out remarkably enjoyable.

Impressive Pacing and Personal Growth

Among this movie's greatest strengths is its superb pacing. It begins with a memorable initial scene where a peaceful family party gets suddenly interrupted by a van crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking individual emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This intense scene is immediately followed by a look back, allowing us to see the family prior to the disaster occurred.

In contrast to numerous zombie films, The Elixir actually allows viewers sufficient time to get to know the primary personalities prior to the chaos begins. We meet Nes, a married mother whose ex close friend, Karina, has become married to her dad—an obviously awkward situation. This has understandably led to a rift among the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and who loves gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have lately cheated on her. This household head consists of Nes' father, 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' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves extremely tense.

Invested in the Conflict

I became so invested with this family's dynamics and their personal conflicts to the point I nearly forgot I was watching a scary movie—something that could sound like a negative, but in the end paid off. The Elixir dedicates a significant amount of its runtime to showing us the identity of every family member represents, plus the ways they add to the overall dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting traits enabled the audience to relate to the personalities enough to care about their fate—a rare feat for this style that often presents individuals just to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, expendable casualties for a horde of zombies to consume, so it's a real surprise when things finally go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial sequences from the gathering and the multiple family interactions actually evoke the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a K-Drama with somewhat morbid comedy before taking an abrupt turn toward "holy shit" ground. These early scenes aren't centered too heavily on humor compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.

Original Zombification Origin

This movie also offers a quite interesting explanation regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the cause of this contagious disease stems from a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While some background is provided something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the movie had spent a little more focus explaining how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of holistic medicine to creating a lethal potion that appears to include a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the limited background, the impact this affliction produces on humans is absolutely disgusting, and I appreciate. The Elixir's undead are quick, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a daring choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also quite realistic, and they're practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.

Resourceful Personalities

Even better than the disgusting scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, we see some examples of questionable choices (as in any good undead film), however for the most part, Nes and her relatives show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or hit it on the skull with whatever heavy object they find instead of freezing like prey caught in lights while danger approaches.

Realistic Familial Strike

The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, this proved a welcome authentic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly pardon you for everything! cliché frequently used in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains holding onto bitterness over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they decide over the phone to regroup at a close location. However, once Bang reveals he doesn't know how to get there, Nes expresses a massive level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that nearly dying immediately resolves family tensions. This makes those instances where these individuals do show appreciation for each other seem far more genuine.

Predictable Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the ending must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep message regarding relatives or community, as well. Rather, it's primarily delivering frights. But they're effective scares, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the outcome proves a captivating and entertaining