Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Move over, flashy megacities falling first to a zombie apocalypse, Indonesian film “The Elixir” (native title: Abadi Nan Jaya) shifts ground zero to a quaint village, where a wealthy patriarch becomes patient zero and his spoiled kids the first horrified survivors.

Directed by Kimo Stamboel, and written by Agasyah Karim, Khalid Kashogi, the film follows a family that runs Wani Waras, a herbal business, as they scramble to survive a sudden zombie outbreak that leaves a trail of gruesome deaths and gore across their village.

It all begins when Sadimin (Donny Damara), the patriarch and owner, samples a new Wani Waras concoction he proudly calls “The Elixir.” What first seems to miraculously de-age him soon mutates into a curse, turning him into a flesh-hungry zombie. His wife Karina (Eva Celia Latjuba), unemployed gamer son Bambang (Marthino Lio), daughter Kenes (Mikha Tambayong), and son-in-law Rudi (Dimas Anggara), all of whom were eyeing Aris’ fortune, now find themselves fighting for their lives instead.

Running almost two hours, The Elixir (Abadi Nan Jaya) opens with a simple village celebration that, at first glance, has nothing to do with the Wani Waras family. The festivities are abruptly cut short when a seemingly drunk driver (Kiki Narendra) plows his car through the small crowd, then begins tearing into the guests, literally. The creators soon rewind to reveal how this violent stranger is connected to Sadimin’s clan.

Unlike popular zombie titles like ‘The Walking Dead’, ‘All of Us Are Dead’, or the much older ’28 Days Later’, which follow groups of strangers banding together to survive, The Elixir (Abadi Nan Jaya) is largely a family affair. The first half establishes the personalities of the key protagonists as they frantically try to make sense of why the patriarch has suddenly turned cannibalistic, and why those he bites soon begin doing the same.

While the wealthy Sadimin serves as patient zero, there’s irony in how it’s the working-class household staff who become zombies first, while their masters speed away in their cars. Siblings Bambang and Kenes get separated from the rest of the family, leaving a hysterical Kenes spending much of the runtime screaming and worrying about her young son Raihan (Varren Arianda Calief) and husband Rudi, who flee with Karina in another car while escaping the staff-turned-zombies.

Since the survivors unwittingly split into two groups due to desperate, bloodied circumstance, the second-half is a tense, gory ride which shows them meeting a few new faces along the way. Two major supporting characters who join the Wani Waras family in their fight for survival are young cop Rahman (Ardit Erwandha) and his girlfriend Ningsih (Claresta Taufan Kusumarina).

Overall, The Elixir (Abadi Nan Jaya) is an anxiety-inducing, fast-paced zombie horror thriller featuring some truly frustrating characters who make it hard to root for them. There’s no clear indication of when the story takes place, but assuming it’s post-COVID, given its 2025 release, you can’t help but wonder why no one thinks to cover themselves while people are literally spraying blood from their mouths.

The worst (and possibly dumbest) moment, which also happens to be one of The Elixir’s (Abadi Nan Jaya) scariest, comes when a character realizes they’re about to turn into a monster and decides to give their child a goodbye hug. WHAT?! Say your farewell from a hundred meters away, dudes!

Then again, it’s possible the grating personalities are deliberate, designed to provoke strong reactions and keep us engaged in their fates, good or bad. The special effects are over the top yet convincing enough to make anyone squeamish about blood flinch in terror.

For horror fans who never tire of the zombie genre, this is a fun one time watch, despite its very many flaws. I mean, if Kimo Stamboel makes a part 2 with a whole set of new characters, I will most likely stream ‘The Elixir’ Part 2 too.

Watch ‘The Elixir’ (Abadi Nan Jaya) on Netflix.

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