🔗 Share this article

Generally speaking, I've had my fill of apocalyptic horror. Although classics like 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, this category feels largely exhausted at this point. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, managed to subvert my expectations and proved quite entertaining.

Excellent Pacing and Personal Development

Among the film's greatest assets is its excellent pacing. It kicks off with a memorable opening sequence where a calm family gathering gets suddenly interrupted when a van plows into the guest area. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges and begins assaulting the partygoers. This intense moment is immediately followed by a look back, giving viewers to see the family prior to the disaster struck.

Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly allows viewers enough opportunity to become acquainted with its main personalities before the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a wife and mother whose former close friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has predictably caused a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and he enjoys gaming alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family patriarch consists of Nes' father, the owner of a well-known herbal remedy business named Wani Waras, and who seems focused on only two aspects: his work and his wife to his daughter's former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves incredibly strained.

Invested in the Drama

I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts that I nearly forgot this was a horror film—which might sound like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a considerable amount of the film to showing us the identity of every relative is, and how they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on clashing personalities allowed me to connect to the personalities enough to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon accomplishment in a genre which frequently presents characters only to eliminate them soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, thus it's a real surprise when things eventually go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening scenes from the gathering and various family interactions actually evoke the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself like a Korean drama with slightly dark comedy prior to taking an abrupt turn into "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes don't focus too heavily on humor as Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives sufficient opportunity to settle into the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.

Original Infection Source

This movie also offers a fairly interesting reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or a type of bioweapon, the cause of this infectious condition originates in a recent batch from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to producing a deadly elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this condition has on humans is utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a bold choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite realistic, and are practically guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.

Resourceful Characters

Even better than the gross-out moments are the characters themselves. Of course, there are some examples of questionable decision-making (like any typical zombie movie), but for the most part, Nes and her relatives are inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike a zombie in the head, stab it using a farm tool, or hit it on the skull with whatever heavy object is available instead of standing still like prey in headlights as death nears.

Realistic Familial Strike

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes of familial discord when people start turning to the undead, which was a welcome authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope often seen in apocalyptic movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains holding onto bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. When the family becomes split up, they agree over the phone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes expresses a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes is not flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and understandable because the film avoids attempting to push the notion that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This makes the moments where these individuals do show gratitude toward one another seem far more genuine.

Stereotypical Ending

In spite of The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat formulaic. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or society, either. Rather, it's primarily delivering scares. But they're effective scares, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for their imperfections, the result proves an engaging and enjoyable