The streaming giant's Unexpected New Zombie Film Breathes Fresh Air into a Tired Category

Typically, I'm over apocalyptic horror. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, this category feels largely depleted nowadays. Even the much-awaited 28 Years Later remains gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. But, Netflix's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in subvert what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.

Impressive Rhythm and Personal Development

Among this movie's strongest assets is its excellent pacing. It begins with a memorable initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering gets suddenly disrupted by a van plows right into the seating section. From the wreckage, a very undead-looking individual stumbles out proceeding attacking the attendees. This dramatic scene is then followed by a flashback, allowing us to see the family before the disaster struck.

In contrast to many zombie films, The Elixir truly allows viewers sufficient opportunity to get to know its main characters prior to the chaos begins. There's Nes, a married mother with a former best friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—a clearly uncomfortable dynamic. This has understandably led to a rift between Nes and Karina. We also see her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet a bit inept socially, and who enjoys playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family head is Nes' father, who runs a popular natural medicine business called Wani Waras, and who appears to care about only two aspects: his business and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly strained.

Invested in the Conflict

I found myself so invested in the household's issues and their interpersonal drama to the point I almost forgot I was watching a horror film—something that could seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime depicting us who each family member is, plus the ways they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on conflicting traits enabled the audience to connect to the personalities sufficiently to care about their fate—a rare feat in a genre which frequently presents characters only to kill them off soon after. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, disposable victims for a horde of the undead to devour, thus it's a real surprise once events finally go wrong.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening scenes from the gathering and the multiple household exchanges in fact bring to mind the film Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a Korean drama with slightly dark humor before taking an abrupt shift toward "holy shit" ground. These introductory scenes don't focus as much on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir still gives enough opportunity to settle into its world prior to everything gets upended.

Unique Infection Origin

The film also offers a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the spreading transformation. Rather than a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the cause for this contagious disease stems from a recent sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies created by her dad. Although some background is provided a bit about how it started, I wish the movie devoted additional focus explaining how Wani Waras transitioned from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to producing a deadly elixir that appears to contain a highly contagious virus. Regardless of the lack of background, the impact this condition has on humans is absolutely disgusting, which I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a daring decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI are also quite convincing, and are practically guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.

Resourceful Characters

More impressive than the disgusting 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 quick-thinking. Additionally, they aren't afraid to kick an undead in the face, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with the nearest heavy object is available instead of freezing like prey caught in lights as death approaches.

Realistic Family Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus of familial discord when people start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic subversion from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but you almost died so I instantly forgive you for everything! trope often seen in apocalyptic films. It's clear, Nes loves her relatives and cares about her spouse, Rudi, yet it's equally clear she remains clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby spot. However, once Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been building over time. Nes is not perfect, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem realistic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to promote the notion that a near-death experience instantly cures family tensions. This causes the moments where these individuals express appreciation for each other feel much more genuine.

Stereotypical Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir isn't really offering up some profound insight regarding relatives or community, either. Instead, it's mostly delivering frights. But they're successful scares, and because the movie allows every personality sufficient space to develop and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is a captivating and enjoyable