Netflix's Startling New Zombie Film Injects New Life into a Stale Genre

For the most part, I've had my fill of undead films. While favorites such as 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead proved enjoyable, the genre feels largely depleted nowadays. Even the highly anticipated 28 Years Later remains sitting in my watchlist for months. But, the platform's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy my expectations and proved quite enjoyable.

Superb Rhythm and Personal Growth

One of the film's strongest assets is its excellent pacing. It kicks off using a striking opening sequence in which a calm family party is violently disrupted when a vehicle plows right into the guest area. From the wreckage, a very zombie-like stranger stumbles out proceeding attacking the attendees. This dramatic scene is immediately succeeded by a look back, allowing us to see the family before the tragedy occurred.

Unlike numerous undead movies, The Elixir truly gives the audience enough time to get to know the primary personalities before the chaos ensues. There's Nes, a married mother whose former close friend, Karina, is now married to Nes' father—an obviously uncomfortable situation. Naturally, this has predictably led to a rift among Nes and Karina. Then there's Nes' brother, Bang, who is good-natured but a bit inept socially, and who loves gaming with his nephew, Raihan. Her spouse, Rudi, seems to have recently been unfaithful to Nes. The family head is Nes' father, who runs a popular herbal remedy company called Wani Waras, and he appears to care about only two things: his business and his marriage to Nes' former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly strained.

Engaged in the Conflict

I found myself so engrossed with this family's dynamics along with their personal conflicts to the point I almost overlooked this was a scary movie—which might sound like a drawback, yet in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a significant amount of the film depicting viewers the identity of every relative is, and how they contribute to the general dysfunction. This emphasis on conflicting traits enabled me to relate with the characters enough to be concerned for their outcome—a rare accomplishment in a genre that often introduces characters only to kill them off shortly afterwards. The Elixir avoids portraying its characters as flat, disposable victims for an army of zombies to devour, thus it's a real surprise once events finally deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The initial scenes of the party and the multiple family interactions actually bring to mind the film Parasite, a tale which disguises itself like a K-Drama featuring slightly dark comedy prior to making an abrupt shift into shocking territory. These early scenes aren't centered as much on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir nonetheless provides sufficient time to settle into its world prior to it gets upended.

Original Zombification Origin

This movie also offers a quite intriguing reason regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of an accidental laboratory incident or some sort of bioweapon, the source of this contagious disease stems from a recent sample of Wani Waras natural medicines created by Nes' father. While we do learn a bit about its origins, it would have been better if the film devoted a little more focus on how Wani Waras went from a trusted purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir which seems to include an extremely infectious virus. Despite the lack of background, the effect this condition produces on people is absolutely repulsive, and I love it. The Elixir's zombies prove fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This is a daring choice, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and they're almost certain to trigger a fear of holes.

Capable Characters

More impressive than the disgusting moments are the characters themselves. Of course, we see a few examples of dubious decision-making (as in typical undead film), however generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and sharp. Additionally, they don't hesitate to strike an undead in the head, pierce it using a farm tool, or beat it over the head with the nearest blunt instrument is available instead of freezing like a deer in headlights as death approaches.

Realistic Family Discord

The Elixir doesn't abandon its themes on family conflict once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a pleasantly realistic subversion from that "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for all your mistakes!" trope frequently used in end-of-world movies. It's clear, Nes cares for her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, but it's also clear she remains clinging to resentment over his betrayal of their marriage vows. Once the household gets separated, they agree over the phone to regroup at a close location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes an immense level of irritation toward Bang that's clearly been brewing over time. Nes is not flawless, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem realistic and relatable because the film avoids attempting to push the idea that a near-death experience immediately resolves family tensions. This makes the moments when these characters express gratitude toward one another seem much more genuine.

Stereotypical Conclusion

In spite of The Elixir's strong efforts to break new ground, the conclusion must be said to be somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep message regarding relatives or community, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up scares. Yet these are successful scares, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the outcome is an engaging and enjoyable