The Elixir (Indonesian: Abadi Nan Jaya) is a 2025 Indonesian zombie film directed, produced, and co-written by Kimo Stamboel. The film features a talented cast including Mikha Tambayong, Eva Celia, Donny Damara, and Marthino Lio. Released on Netflix on 23 October 2025, the movie combines elements of horror, thriller, and dark comedy. While it begins with a promising concept and intriguing visuals, the film experiences a noticeable drop in quality as the story unfolds. The Elixir attempts to explore both human emotions and the chaos of a zombie outbreak, but the execution leaves viewers with a mix of enjoyment and frustration.
The story revolves around a dysfunctional family that runs a renowned herbal medicine business. In an effort to innovate and create something extraordinary, the company owner experiments with a new potion. However, this innovation backfires dramatically, triggering a sudden and dangerous zombie outbreak.
Donny Damara
The film initially sets up a tense, suspenseful atmosphere as the outbreak begins. Zombies in this story are frighteningly fast, adding to the intensity of chase scenes and survival sequences. While the horror elements are typical of the genre, the film also includes moments of humour, which lighten the mood amidst the chaos.
The narrative goes beyond mere survival, touching on themes such as family, motherhood, friendship, loyalty, and love. Characters are forced to make difficult choices, and the emotional stakes are highlighted as the outbreak disrupts not just society, but personal relationships.
The Elixir features a cast of talented Indonesian actors. Mikha Tambayong and Eva Celia take on central roles, supported by veteran performers like Donny Damara and Marthino Lio. The cast delivers strong performances that bring life to the story, with each actor portraying their character’s fear, frustration, and occasional humour convincingly.
Mikha Tambayong
Interestingly, the Indonesian cast has a distinct look, with features that seemed to blend Indian and Filipino traits. This visual uniqueness adds freshness to the film and makes the characters feel different from typical zombie movie casts, giving viewers something new to look at amidst familiar genre tropes.
The Elixir has several elements that make it enjoyable, particularly in the first half of the movie. The fast-moving zombies are a significant improvement over traditional slow-walking zombies, providing suspenseful, edge-of-your-seat moments. The film balances horror and humour in a way that keeps viewers entertained, with occasional laugh-out-loud sequences that break up the tension.
The underlying emotional layer of the film also adds depth. Beneath the gore and zombie attacks, the story emphasizes family bonds, and the sacrifices people make for those they love. This human aspect elevates the film above a standard horror flick, giving it moments of real emotional resonance.
Eva Celia
Visually, the film benefits from its distinct Indonesian cast and the cinematography that captures the chaos and panic of a zombie outbreak effectively. The pacing, especially in the first half, is engaging, with a mysterious tone and suspense that makes the audience curious about how the outbreak began and what will happen next.
Despite its strong start, The Elixir struggles to maintain coherence and logic as the story progresses. Characters frequently make unbelievably poor decisions, turning frustratingly implausible scenes into comedy of errors. One particularly absurd scene involves a character repeatedly honking a car horn, attracting zombies, and then colliding with a truck. These moments, while occasionally funny, underline the film’s narrative weaknesses.
Another major flaw is the lack of common sense displayed by characters who have access to phones and safe zones. Instead of calling for help or using social media to alert authorities, characters leave safety unnecessarily, making decisions that seem illogical and irritating. In one sequence, characters enter a police station without warning the officers of zombies outside, leading to more avoidable deaths.
Marthino_Lio
The portrayal of law enforcement is also inconsistent, with a young officer threatening to charge his boss, who has become a zombie, for murder. These scenes highlight a lack of attention to realistic human behaviour in crisis situations. While the film attempts to mix humour with horror, these illogical decisions often push viewers from suspense into frustration, detracting from the overall experience.
Overall, The Elixir is a mixed bag. On one hand, it offers a fresh take on the zombie genre with fast-moving undead and motional depth.
On the other hand, narrative inconsistencies, implausible character behaviour, and frustrating plot choices make parts of the film hard to enjoy fully. For viewers seeking a light, entertaining zombie film with some emotional undertones, The Elixir can be enjoyable. However, for those looking for a tightly written, logical horror story, it may leave them disappointed.
