Netflix's Surprising New Zombie Flick Injects Fresh Air into a Stale Genre

Generally speaking, I've had my fill of zombie movies. While classics like 28 Days Later and the early seasons of The Walking Dead were gripping, the genre feels largely depleted at this point. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been sitting on my to-watch queue for months. However, the platform's new Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, managed to defy what I anticipated turning out quite entertaining.

Impressive Rhythm and Character Growth

Among the film's strongest strengths lies in the excellent rhythm. It begins using a memorable initial scene in which a peaceful family gathering is violently interrupted when a vehicle plows into the seating section. Out of the van, an extremely undead-looking stranger emerges proceeding assaulting the attendees. This intense moment is immediately succeeded by a look back, allowing us to observe this household before the disaster occurred.

In contrast to numerous undead movies, The Elixir actually gives the audience enough time to become acquainted with the primary characters before the carnage begins. We meet Nes, a married mother with a ex best friend, Karina, is now married to her dad—an obviously uncomfortable dynamic. This has predictably caused a rift among the two women. We also see her sibling, Bang, described as kind-hearted yet socially awkward, and he loves playing video games with Nes' young son, Raihan. Nes' husband, Rudi, appears to have recently been unfaithful to her. This household head consists of her dad, who runs a well-known herbal remedy business called Wani Waras, and who seems to care about only two aspects: his work and his marriage to his daughter's former best friend. Unsurprisingly, this gathering is incredibly tense.

Engaged in the Conflict

I found myself so invested with this household's issues and their personal conflicts to the point I nearly overlooked this was a horror film—something that could seem like a negative, yet in the end worked well. The Elixir spends a significant portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the general turmoil. This emphasis on clashing traits allowed me to relate to the personalities enough to be concerned for their outcome—a rare feat for this style that often introduces individuals just to eliminate them shortly afterwards. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for a horde of zombies to devour, thus it's a genuine shock once events eventually deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening scenes of the party and various household exchanges in fact evoke the movie Parasite, a story which disguises itself as a Korean drama with slightly dark humor before taking a sudden shift into "holy shit" ground. These early scenes don't focus as much on comedy as Parasite, but The Elixir still gives enough time to immerse in the setting before it gets upended.

Original Zombification Source

The film additionally presents a quite interesting reason for the source of the contagious zombification. Instead of a unintended laboratory incident or some sort of biological weapon, the cause for this infectious condition stems from a new sample of Wani Waras herbal remedies developed by Nes' father. While 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 supplier of holistic medicine to producing a lethal potion which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Despite the limited background, the impact this condition has on humans proves utterly disgusting, and I love it. The Elixir's undead are fast, bizarre in appearance, and, perhaps worst of all, always smiling. This represents a daring decision, yet it succeeds. The Elixir's physical effects and computer graphics also appear quite convincing, and they're almost guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.

Capable Personalities

More impressive compared to the gross-out moments is the cast themselves. Certainly, we see some instances of dubious choices (as in typical zombie movie), however for the most part, Nes and her family are inventive and sharp. They also aren't afraid to kick a zombie in the head, stab it with a pitchfork, or beat it on the skull with the nearest blunt instrument they find rather than standing still like a deer caught in lights as death approaches.

Believable Familial Discord

The Elixir doesn't drop its themes of familial discord once individuals start turning into zombies, which was a welcome realistic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately pardon you for everything! trope often seen in apocalyptic films. Obviously, Nes loves her relatives and cares about her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she's still holding onto bitterness regarding his infidelity in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they decide over the phone to meet up at a close location. However, once Bang reveals he is unaware how to get there, Nes unleashes a massive level of irritation on her brother which has obviously been brewing over time. Nes isn't flawless, and her relatives—flawed as it is—seem authentic and understandable because the film doesn't try to push the notion that nearly dying instantly cures familial strife. This makes those instances where these individuals express gratitude toward one another seem far more genuine.

Stereotypical Ending

Despite The Elixir's best attempts to innovate, the conclusion is admittedly somewhat stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up any deep insight about family or society, either. Instead, it's mostly serving up frights. But they're effective scares, and since the film gives each character sufficient space to grow and doesn't punish them for having flaws, the result is an engaging and entertaining