Generally speaking, I've grown tired of apocalyptic horror. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early episodes from The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category seems largely depleted at this point. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated and proved remarkably entertaining.
Excellent Rhythm and Personal Growth
One of this movie's strongest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking opening sequence in which a peaceful family party gets suddenly disrupted when a vehicle crashes into the seating section. From the wreckage, an extremely zombie-like individual emerges proceeding attacking the attendees. This dramatic scene is then followed by a flashback, giving viewers to observe this household prior to the tragedy occurred.
In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually allows viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know the primary personalities prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother whose former best friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—a clearly awkward situation. This has predictably caused a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured yet socially awkward, and who enjoys playing video games alongside his nephew, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, seems to have lately cheated on her. This household patriarch is Nes' father, the owner of a popular natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and he appears focused on only two aspects: his work and his wife to Nes' former best friend. Needless to say, this gathering proves incredibly tense.
Invested in the Drama
I became so engrossed with this household's issues along with their personal conflicts that I almost overlooked I was watching a horror film—something that could seem like a drawback, but ultimately worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable amount of the film to showing viewers the identity of every relative is, plus the ways they add to the overall dysfunction. This focus on conflicting personalities enabled me to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare feat in a genre that often presents characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its cast as flat, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a genuine surprise when things finally deteriorate.
Reminiscent of Parasite
The initial scenes from the gathering and various household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself as a Korean drama featuring somewhat morbid humor prior to making an abrupt turn into shocking territory. These early scenes don't focus as much on comedy compared to Parasite, but The Elixir still provides enough time to immerse in the setting prior to everything gets turned upside down.
Unique Infection Source
The film also offers a fairly intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the cause for this infectious condition originates in a new batch from Wani Waras natural medicines developed by her dad. While we do learn something regarding how it started, it would have been better if the film had spent additional time on how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of natural treatments to producing a lethal potion that appears to include an extremely infectious virus. Regardless of the limited context, the impact this affliction produces on humans is absolutely repulsive, which I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, freaky-looking, and, maybe most disturbingly, constantly grinning. This is a bold choice, but it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and CGI are also very realistic, and are practically guaranteed to provoke one's trypophobia.
Capable Characters
More impressive than the gross-out scenes are the characters themselves. Certainly, there are a few examples of dubious choices (like any typical zombie movie), but generally, Nes and her family are inventive and sharp. They also 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 freezing like a deer caught in lights as death approaches.
Believable Familial Strike
The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord when people begin transforming to the undead, which was a welcome authentic deviation from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope frequently used in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes loves her family and values her spouse, Rudi, but it's also clear she's still clinging to resentment over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household gets separated, they agree via telephone to meet up at a close spot. But when Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes unleashes an immense amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—with all their imperfections—feel authentic and relatable since the movie doesn't try to push the notion that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This causes the moments when these characters express gratitude toward one another seem far more sincere.
Predictable Ending
In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really presenting any deep message regarding relatives or community, as well. Instead, it's mostly delivering frights. Yet these are effective frights, and because the film gives each character enough room to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and enjoyable
