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Generally speaking, I'm over undead films. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial seasons of The Walking Dead proved gripping, the genre feels mostly depleted at this point. Yet the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting on my to-watch queue for months. But, the platform's latest Indonesian horror film, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert my expectations and proved quite entertaining.

Impressive Rhythm and Character Development

Among the film's greatest assets lies in the excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking initial scene where a calm family party gets suddenly interrupted by a van crashes right into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking individual stumbles out and begins attacking the attendees. This intense moment is immediately succeeded by a flashback, allowing us to observe this household before the disaster occurred.

In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually gives the audience enough opportunity to get to know the primary characters before the chaos ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother whose ex close friend, Karina, has become wed to Nes' father—a clearly awkward dynamic. This has predictably caused a rift among the two women. We also see Nes' brother, Bang, who is kind-hearted but a bit inept socially, and who loves playing video games alongside Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have lately been unfaithful to Nes. The family patriarch is her dad, who runs a well-known natural medicine company named Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his work and his wife to Nes' ex-best friend. Needless to say, this family reunion proves extremely tense.

Invested in the Conflict

I became so engrossed in the family's dynamics and their personal conflicts that I almost forgot I was watching a scary movie—which might seem like a drawback, but in the end worked well. The Elixir dedicates a significant portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each family member represents, plus the ways they contribute to the general dysfunction. This focus on clashing traits enabled the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare accomplishment in a genre that often introduces characters just to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its cast as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a real shock once events finally deteriorate.

Reminiscent of Parasite

The initial scenes from the gathering and the multiple family interactions in fact bring to mind the movie Parasite, a tale that masquerades as a K-Drama featuring slightly dark humor before making an abrupt shift toward "holy shit" ground. These introductory moments aren't centered too heavily on comedy as Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives sufficient opportunity to immerse in its world before everything gets upended.

Original Zombification Origin

The film additionally presents a fairly intriguing explanation for the source of the contagious transformation. Instead of a unintended lab leak or a type of biological weapon, the cause for this infectious condition stems from a new batch of Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. While some background is provided a bit about how it started, I wish the film had spent a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted supplier of natural treatments to producing a lethal potion that appears to contain an extremely infectious virus. Despite the lack of background, the effect this affliction produces on people is utterly repulsive, and I appreciate. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, maybe most disturbingly, always smiling. This is a bold decision, but it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and are almost guaranteed to trigger a fear of holes.

Capable Personalities

Even better than the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, we see a few instances of dubious choices (like any typical undead film), however generally, Nes and her family are resourceful and sharp. Additionally, they aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it on the skull with whatever blunt instrument is available rather than freezing like prey caught in lights as death nears.

Believable Family Strike

The Elixir doesn't drop its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly authentic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly forgive you for all your mistakes!" cliché often seen in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes loves her family and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she's still 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 spot. However, once Bang admits he is unaware the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive amount of frustration toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes is not flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and understandable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves familial strife. This makes those instances when these characters express appreciation toward one another seem much more sincere.

Stereotypical Ending

Despite The Elixir's best attempts to break new ground, the ending must be said to be a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound message about family or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. But they're successful frights, and since the film allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and entertaining