REVIEW: ‘The Elixir’ Is A Thrilling, Yet Overstuffed Zombie Affair

The Elixir (Abadi Nan Jaya) is Netflix’s latest zombie horror thriller, directed and co-written by Indonesian filmmaker Kimo Stamboel (DreadOut). Agasyah Karim and Khalid Kashogi wrote the film’s screenplay. It stars Mikha Tambayong as Kenes, Eva Celia Latjuba as Karina, Donny Damara as Pak Sadimin, Dimas Anggara as Rudi, Marthino Lio as Bambang, Claresta Taufan Kusumarina as Ningsih, Ardit Erwandha as Rahman, and Varen Arianda Calief as Raihan.

The Elixir follows a deadly chain of events after a wealthy owner of an herbal tea company, Pak Sadimin, develops an experimental elixir intended to reverse the aging process. Little does Sadimin know, his new elixir unleashes a horrifying zombie outbreak. Chaos quickly engulfs the local community, leading Sadimin’s dysfunctional family to work together if they want to survive. 

Meanwhile, a young couple, Ningsih and Rahman, find themselves caught in the crosshairs of the zombie apocalypse as their village’s society collapses around them. The infection quickly spreads and consumes the community, leaving the few survivors doing everything they can to survive. 

Choosing to set The Elixir in a village rather than a larger city location is refreshing.

The Elixar‘s setting in a remote Indonesian village is an interesting choice. It is rare to see a zombie horror film set in a smaller backdrop rather than a large, overpopulated city. The village setting lends the film a distinct kind of tension; in an isolated village, the infection can spread more quickly in a close-knit community, with fewer resources for defense and fewer opportunities for rescue from neighboring towns. Furthermore, by grounding the story in a rural Indonesian community, the film stands out from other zombie horror projects.

The Elixir begins in a way that’s a little hard to follow. It opens from two entirely different perspectives: first, Ningsih, a housekeeper attending a large celebration, and her boyfriend, Rahman, a young police officer who’s about to propose before heading to work. Their domestic drama is quickly interrupted when a car crash unleashes the first wave of zombie attack, setting off a gruesome chain of events.

After the title card, the story suddenly shifts focus to Kenes, her soon-to-be ex-husband Rudi, and their son Raihan. Kenes is in the midst of a bitter divorce and hopes her father, Sadimin, will sell his herbal supplement company so she can finally move on with her life.

Abrupt perspective shifts between characters distract more than help the narrative.

This sudden change in perspective, without a timestamp or transition, feels a bit jarring at first. The director wanted to widen the story’s scope early on by introducing multiple character threads before the outbreak fully erupts. However, the execution isn’t as smooth as it could be. It takes a few scenes for the narrative to settle and for us to understand how these characters and storylines intersect.

The Elixir absolutely comes alive once the zombies start tearing through the screen. The zombies are grotesque, fast, and absolutely feral, with their transformation from human to undead graphic and visceral. The creature designs, transformations, and mannerisms are excellent.

It is fascinating to watch the characters turn into monstrous killing machines that attack the nearest sound. Stamboel clearly utilizes the basics of zombie horror dynamics, adding his own flair, thus making the zombies the film’s greatest strength.

The creative team hits that sweet spot between terrifying and fascinating with the zombies, making the film a visually impressive addition to the zombie horror genre. Furthermore, it showcases the genre’s growing reach beyond the typical Western gaze.

These zombies, though, are absolutely terrifying.

The Elixir’s cast dynamics and chemistry ground its supernatural chaos, bolstered by emotionally charged performances. Mikha Tambayong’s performance as Kenes, a woman caught between survival, protecting her son, and her dysfunctional family drama. Meanwhile, Eva Celia Latjuba delivers a standout turn as Karina, Kenes’s former best friend turned stepmother. Both Tambayong and Latjuba’s chemistry works well on screen, which helps to sell the family drama and tension between the two characters.

The actual “elixir” itself is a fascinating concept that doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves in the film. Sadimin, Kenes’ father, develops the potion in hopes of reversing aging and creating a bottled fountain of youth to take his company back to new heights. So, he can maintain control of his company and retain his power.

The metaphor is pretty simple and direct: corporate greed and vanity literally giving way to a zombie outbreak. Sadly, The Elixir barely scratches the surface of the titular elixir’s origins. It is a missed opportunity that the film did not go into more detail on who created the elixir, why it was developed, or what led to its dangerous side effects. A stronger focus on that backstory could have turned into a sharper commentary on exploitation and the cost of ambition.

More work on the film’s metaphors through the titular elixir would have strengthened it.

Instead, The Elixir leans heavily into its spectacle at times, to a fault. Some moments are both thrilling and unintentionally funny. For example, there is one scene where a couple gets engaged as they are simultaneously being devoured by a horde of zombies. It’s clearly meant to be tragic and romantic, but the melodrama tips into cringeworthy territory. 

The Elixir attempts to hit a wide range of emotional notes, from heartbreak and love to family and even friendship drama. Unfortunately, in trying to do it all, The Elixir sometimes loses the rhythm that makes each moment stick the landing. Nonetheless, there is something undeniably entertaining about the dark and relentless nature of the film’s ending. Stamboel closes the film on a haunting note, reminding us that just because some characters have survived the outbreak doesn’t mean the nightmare is over just yet. 

The Elixir is an ambitious, visually outstanding zombie film that proves Stamboel can deliver in the genre. Its pacing issues and uneven storytelling prevent it from reaching the emotional depths it was aiming for. Still, its decent performances, symbolism, and gnarly creature designs make it a thrilling experience.

The Elixir is a gory, unpredictable thriller that’s as messy as it is mesmerizing. The film is not the best zombie flick ever, but it is watchable. Given the open ending at the film’s conclusion, a sequel could do better if some flaws can be addressed in the next chapter.

The Elixir is streaming now exclusively on Netflix.