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Generally speaking, I'm over undead films. Although favorites such as 28 Days Later along with the initial episodes from The Walking Dead were enjoyable, this category feels largely exhausted nowadays. Yet the much-awaited 28 Years Later has been gathering dust on my to-watch queue for some time. However, Netflix's latest Indonesian zombie flick, The Elixir, succeeded in defy my expectations and proved remarkably entertaining.

Superb Pacing and Personal Development

One of this movie's strongest strengths lies in the excellent pacing. It begins using a memorable initial scene in which a peaceful family party is violently disrupted by a vehicle crashes right into the guest area. Out of the van, an extremely zombie-like stranger emerges proceeding assaulting the partygoers. This dramatic scene is immediately followed by a look back, giving viewers to see the family before the disaster occurred.

Unlike numerous zombie films, The Elixir truly gives the audience sufficient time to become acquainted with the primary personalities prior to the carnage ensues. We meet Nes, a married mother whose former close friend, Karina, is now wed to Nes' father—an obviously awkward situation. This has understandably led to a rift among the two women. Then there's her sibling, Bang, who is kind-hearted yet socially awkward, 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 Nes' father, the owner of a well-known natural medicine business named Wani Waras, and he seems focused on only two things: his business and his marriage to his daughter's ex-best friend. Unsurprisingly, this family reunion proves incredibly tense.

Engaged in the Drama

I became so invested with this household's issues and their interpersonal drama to the point I almost overlooked I was watching a scary movie—something that could seem like a drawback, but in the end paid off. The Elixir spends a considerable portion of its runtime to showing viewers who each relative is, plus the ways they add to the general dysfunction. This focus on conflicting personalities allowed me to relate to the personalities sufficiently to be concerned for their fate—an uncommon feat for this style which frequently presents individuals just to kill them off soon after. The Elixir doesn't treat its characters as two-dimensional, disposable victims for an army of the undead to devour, so it's a genuine surprise once events eventually deteriorate.

Evocative of Parasite

The opening scenes of the party and various family interactions in fact evoke the film Parasite, a story that masquerades like a Korean drama featuring slightly dark humor before taking an abrupt shift toward "holy shit" territory. These early scenes don't focus too heavily on comedy compared to Parasite, yet The Elixir nonetheless gives enough opportunity to settle into its world prior to everything gets upended.

Original Infection Origin

The film also offers a fairly interesting explanation regarding the origin of the contagious transformation. Instead of an accidental lab leak 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. Although we do learn a bit about how it started, it would have been better if the movie devoted a little more time on how Wani Waras went from a reputable purveyor of holistic medicine to creating a lethal elixir which seems to contain a highly contagious pathogen. Regardless of the limited background, the effect this condition has on people is absolutely repulsive, and I love it. The Elixir's undead prove quick, freaky-looking, and, perhaps worst of all, constantly grinning. This represents a daring decision, yet it works. The Elixir's practical effects and CGI also appear very convincing, and are almost guaranteed to trigger one's trypophobia.

Capable Personalities

More impressive compared to the gross-out scenes is the cast themselves. Of course, there are some examples of dubious decision-making (like any any good undead film), but generally, Nes and her family show themselves inventive and quick-thinking. They also don't hesitate to kick an undead in the head, pierce it with a pitchfork, or beat it over the head with whatever blunt instrument they find instead of freezing like prey caught in lights while danger approaches.

Believable Family Strike

The Elixir doesn't abandon its focus on family conflict once individuals begin transforming into zombies, which was a pleasantly authentic deviation from the "We don't get along|"We have issues, but since you nearly died I immediately forgive you for everything! trope frequently used in end-of-world movies. Obviously, Nes loves her relatives and values her husband, Rudi, yet it's equally apparent she remains clinging to bitterness over his betrayal in their relationship. Once the household becomes split up, they agree via telephone to meet up at a nearby location. But when Bang admits he doesn't know the way to the location, Nes unleashes an immense level of irritation toward Bang which has obviously been building for years. Nes isn't perfect, and her family—with all their imperfections—seem authentic and relatable since the movie avoids attempting to push the idea that nearly dying immediately resolves familial strife. This causes the moments where these individuals express appreciation toward one another feel far more sincere.

Predictable Conclusion

Despite The Elixir's strong efforts to innovate, the ending is admittedly a bit stereotypical. The Elixir doesn't truly offering up some profound message regarding relatives or society, as well. Rather, it's mostly delivering frights. But they're effective frights, and because the movie allows every personality enough room to grow and avoids penalizing them for having flaws, the result proves an engaging and entertaining