We can all agree, over the years, films and television shows which have a major part of their storyline centered on zombies hold quite an appeal. It is an allure that has seen the genre cross from the familiar theme of the likes of The Walking Dead universe to more unexpected frontiers with projects such as Marvel Zombies. One thing is certain though, flesh-eating zombies seem to hold a certain appeal to them, one that has arguably begun to wane in recent times. However, if there is any project willing to help stop that slide, it’ll be this new zombie movie marking its mark on streaming.

Despite little to no marketing or any sort of concrete critical acclaim to rely on, the Indonesian film, The Elixir, has been making its mark on streaming giant, Netflix. The film tells the story of a dysfunctional family involved in the production of natural medicine. In a bid to make a huge scientific and financial breakthrough, they attempt to develop a new elixir. It is a venture that catastrophically backfires as their product soon heralds the emergence of zombies and now, despite their previous intolerance for one another, family means absolutely everything now. In the past couple of weeks, The Elixir has worked its way to the top of the standings, in front of other hits from the streamer, including Keira Knightley‘s recent murder mystery The Woman in Cabin 10 and the ever impressive KPop Demon Hunters.

This feat by The Elixir, its rise on streaming, is quite stunning when one recalls that the film doesn’t yet have a Rotten Tomatoes score, yet it continues to make its mark on Netflix globally. The film comes from one half of the filmmaking duo The Mo Brothers, Kimo Stamboel. Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto make up the unit and together the pair have directed the horror films Macabre and Headshot, with Tjahjanto making entries into mainstream Hollywood, directing Nobody 2, which starred Bob Odenkirk.

‘The Elixir’ Is Making Its Mark in a Grand Way

The emergence of The Elixir sees Indonesian cinema making a big splash on the global stage, with the rest of the world finally discovering what a spectacle it can be. Overall, the interest in the film is not without proper cause, as it delivers well in many areas. The tension woven throughout the story, the pace of delivery, as well as the acting and casting were all expertly crafted. The Elixir, in its own way, also offers a critique of big pharma, which has been a hot topic in the news of late.

While some might not resonate with where the story is set, one Reddit user sure does. “As an Indonesian, specifically as someone who knows a lot about the demographic and cultural significance of that particular location (Central Java), this is a somewhat realistic portrayal of zombie apocalypse situation in a remote rural area in Indonesia,” the user said. “I agree that the characters are dead stupid, but this is pretty realistic to me. This is a very unique experience for me. It feels authentic and channels my frustrations on a lot of my own experiences of being Indonesian.”

Check out The Elixir on Netflix, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Release Date

October 23, 2025

Runtime

116 minutes

Director

Kimo Stamboel

Writers

Agasyah Karim, Khalid Kashogi, Kimo Stamboel

Producers

Edwin Nazir