There’s something uniquely unsettling about watching a family patriarch transform into a flesh-eating zombie right in the middle of a heated inheritance dispute. That’s exactly where Netflix’s The Elixir (Abadi Nan Jaya) begins, and it never lets up from there.
I broke one of my cardinal rules for this film. As someone who typically insists on watching foreign language films in their original audio with subtitles, I opted for the English dub this time. The decision was deliberate—I wanted my eyes glued to the screen without darting down to read dialogue, because everything I’d heard about this Indonesian horror thriller suggested the visuals would be worth that sacrifice. Two hours later, with my heart still racing, I can confirm: they absolutely were. When you’ve got practical effects this visceral and zombie actors this committed to selling the horror, you don’t want to miss a single grotesque detail.
Kimo Stamboel’s Zombie Vision
Director Kimo Stamboel has built his reputation working in horror both independently and as part of The Mo Brothers duo with Timo Tjahjanto, achieving mainstream success with films like Macabre (2009) and earning a Citra Award nomination for Headshot (2016). For The Elixir, Stamboel co-wrote the screenplay with Agasyah Karim and Khalid Kashogi, with Edwin Nazir producing through Mowin Pictures. This is his first zombie film, and you can feel him bringing his established horror sensibilities to the undead subgenre with confidence.
What struck me immediately was how Stamboel doesn’t waste time. The story centers on a family dispute that transforms into a nightmarish fight for survival when Sadimin, the patriarch, collapses after drinking his experimental potion for eternal youth and transforms into a terrifying zombie. The pacing is relentless—brisk and fast-paced in a way that keeps you on edge. There’s barely time to breathe between set pieces.
The Cultural Foundation: Jamu and Its Dark Transformation
The film’s premise roots itself deeply in Indonesian culture through jamu, the traditional herbal medicine that’s been part of the country’s heritage for over a millennium. Jamu is predominantly made from natural materials like roots, bark, flowers, seeds, leaves and fruits, and was officially recognized as one of Indonesia’s intangible cultural heritage in 2019, with UNESCO recognition following in December 2023.
The family in the film owns a herbal medicine business called Wani Waras Corp., which is struggling to stay afloat amid modern competition. This struggle for relevance drives the patriarch’s desperate innovation. After discovering the fountain of youth effects when he tests his experimental prototype, he names the elixir “Abadi Nan Jaya”—which ironically translates to “Eternally Victorious.” The name becomes grimly prophetic as this supposed miracle cure triggers the catastrophe.
Here’s where I have to be honest about my main gripe: the source of the zombie virus being some untested, unregulated herbal tonic prototype made by what’s essentially an SME somewhere in Indonesia feels too far-fetched for me. Indonesia has a growing jamu industry worth millions of dollars, and products are regulated by the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM), which prohibits jamu from containing pharmaceutical drug ingredients. The idea that a family business could create something this catastrophically dangerous strains credibility, even in a horror context. But I suppose that’s part of the genre’s DNA—pushing beyond the boundaries of what’s plausible to explore our fears about tradition colliding with ambition.
The Performance and Practical Excellence
The acting throughout was believable, with some important caveats. The ensemble cast includes Mikha Tambayong, Eva Celia, Marthino Lio, Dimas Anggara, and Donny Damara, and they commit fully to the material. There were definitely instances where characters froze instead of running away from danger—you know those moments that make you want to yell at the screen. But I’d attribute most of this to shock, that deer-in-the-headlights response to unprecedented horror. When your father suddenly becomes a flesh-eating monster, I imagine logical decision-making takes a backseat.
What genuinely impressed me were the practical effects and the dedication of the zombie actors. These performers took their roles seriously, creating genuinely unsettling undead that felt physically present and threatening. The makeup work—particularly the dissolving skin effect—was visceral and uncomfortable in the best way. You could see the craftsmanship, the attention to detail that elevates practical effects above CGI in this kind of visceral horror.
The Bleak Trajectory
As the film barreled toward its conclusion, with tonic samples being sent to Jakarta, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there wouldn’t be any survivors in this outbreak. Maybe that’s just my interpretation, but the film seemed to be building toward a scale of catastrophe that extends far beyond the rural village setting. The film weaves Indonesian cultural elements, from traditional herbal medicine (jamu) to zombies with distinct local characteristics, into a familiar family drama backdrop.
The ending left me with that sinking feeling—not necessarily because it was definitively hopeless, but because it opened the door to something much larger and more devastating. When a horror film set in a small village starts showing you packages heading to a major metropolitan area, you understand the implications. The intimate, family-focused horror is about to become a national crisis.
Critical Reception and Final Thoughts
The response to The Elixir has been mixed. Some reviewers praised Stamboel’s dynamic camerawork, furious pacing, and frequent drone shots that make the film consistently compelling, noting how directors are sticking to genre tropes while infusing them with cultural uniqueness. Others have noted that while the zombies themselves aren’t innovative, the film succeeds by making everything around them interesting—the setting, the fractious family dynamics, and the practical effects.
Some critics found the characters’ lack of communication predictable and irritating, though they acknowledged the film works as an entertaining and efficient zombie horror movie. That’s a fair assessment. The family drama sometimes felt forced, with characters making decisions that served the plot rather than genuine character logic.
For me, The Elixir represents something important in the evolution of international horror on streaming platforms. This is Netflix’s first zombie film from Indonesia, and it showcases how local filmmakers can take a well-worn genre and make it feel fresh through cultural specificity. The jamu angle, the rural Indonesian setting filmed in Yogyakarta, the specific family dynamics—these aren’t just window dressing. They’re integral to how the horror unfolds.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely, especially if you’re a fan of zombie cinema and want to see how different cultures approach the genre. Just be prepared for fast pacing, serious gore, and an ending that’ll leave you thinking about what comes next. The practical effects alone make it worth watching, and the zombie actors’ commitment elevates every scene they’re in.
My main takeaway: The Elixir proves that even in a saturated zombie landscape, there’s still room for regional perspectives that bring something unique to the table. It’s not perfect—that herbal tonic origin story still bugs me—but it’s ambitious, committed, and genuinely engaging. Sometimes that’s all you need from a horror film: something that keeps you watching, makes you squirm, and leaves you with questions when the credits roll.
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