The Elixir (2025)
★★½ — The Elixir (2025)
Indonesian horror and action cinema has spent the best part of fifteen years earning a serious international reputation, from the bone-crunching corridors of The Raid to the stranger, more unsettling territory of Tiger Stripes. The Elixir (2025) arrives as part of the latest wave from that same country, this time riding a different genre current: the zombie thriller. Produced by Mowin Pictures and landing on Netflix, the film is set in the rural outskirts of Jakarta, where a pharmaceutical experiment goes catastrophically wrong, releasing something best described as a rage virus into a close-knit village community. A family already fractured by its own internal tensions finds itself forced together as the situation collapses around them, and survival becomes the only thing that matters. It is a well-worn premise, and the film knows it, leaning into the emotional family dynamics that have defined the sub-genre since Train to Busan put Korean zombie cinema on the global map back in 2016.
Behind the camera is Kimo Stamboel, one half of the Indonesian directing duo formerly known as the Mo Brothers (alongside Timo Tjahjanto, who has his own loyal following among genre fans). Stamboel is no stranger to visceral, genre-driven filmmaking, and his instinct for atmosphere and pacing is evident throughout The Elixir's 118-minute runtime. The film is a polished but unremarkable production, the kind where the craft is clearly present even when the material does not always rise to meet it. Leading the cast are Mikha Tambayong and Eva Celia, joined by Marthino Lio, Dimas Anggara, and Varen Arianda Calief. The ensemble carries the weight of the family drama at the film's centre, though as with many genre entries of this type, the screenplay gives them a limited amount to work with beyond their functional roles in the survival scenario.
The Elixir sits in an interesting but crowded space. For those who have followed the zombie revival across Asian cinema, the touchstones will be immediately recognisable, and the question the film has to answer is whether it can carve out its own identity within that framework. Other recent horror offerings from outside the mainstream, such as When Evil Lurks and You Won't Be Alone, have shown that genre filmmakers can find genuinely fresh angles on familiar material when the writing and direction are fully committed to something specific. Whether The Elixir manages the same is, of course, the question worth asking.
The Elixir (2025), Netflix’s latest Indonesian entry into the Asian zombie wave, is a perfectly serviceable genre flick, but that’s about as far as it goes. It rides the now-familiar wave of Train to Busan inspired storytelling: a mysterious outbreak, fast-moving zombies, emotional family drama, and a race against time to survive. The premise (a pharmaceutical experiment gone wrong unleashing a rage virus across the rural outskirts of Jakarta) has potential, and there are moments of tension, solid practical effects, and some slick action sequences in tight farmhouse spaces. The film looks good (gritty cinematography, strong lighting, and a moody score that amps up the dread) and it’s clear the team put effort into making it feel grounded and urgent. There’s even a touch of social commentary buried beneath the chaos, touching on medical ethics and corporate greed. But for all its polish, The Elixir never rises above being “just okay.” The characters are underdeveloped, the dialogue leans on clichés, and the story hits every predictable beat without surprise or real emotional punch. Compared to standouts like it feels generic, another running zombie movie in a sea of them. Decently made, watchable in one sitting, but ultimately forgettable. It doesn’t bring anything new to the table, nor does it elevate the material enough to stand out. If you’re deep in the zombie groove and need your next fix, it’ll do. But don’t expect to remember it tomorrow. Par for the course, indeed.
That tension between competent execution and a lack of genuine distinction is something I keep coming back to with a lot of recent genre output. There is real skill on display here, and Stamboel clearly knows how to frame a set piece and maintain a sense of dread, but skill alone does not make a film memorable. The social commentary around medical ethics and corporate greed is the most interesting thread the film has to offer, and I found myself wishing it had been pulled much harder. A film brave enough to lean into that angle might have had something to say. Instead, it stays safe. Worth a watch on a quiet evening if you have run out of better options, but you will probably be thinking about something else entirely by the time the credits roll.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2025 | Watched: 2025-11-16
Trailer
▶ Watch the official trailer for The Elixir (2025) on YouTube
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Netflix · Netflix Standard with Ads
Physical: Amazon US
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