The Elixir's Confusing Ending Explained: Why the Zombie Apocalypse Is Only Just Beginning

Are you in for a jumpscare this Halloween? Netflix is offering its subscribers several horror movies to enjoy and The Elixir is among them. The gore-filled film has been a topic of discussion since its release, and here's how the much-talked-about movie ended. Please note that the article below contains some spoilers.

Netflix's The Elixir Ends With A Bang

The Elixir is a zombie-horror movie from Jakarta, directed by Kimo Stamboel. It premiered on Netflix on 23 October.

The film started like a family reunion, with Kenes visiting her father, Sadimin, in a village near Yogyakarta. She is accompanied by her husband, Rudi, and their son, Raihan.

However, the reunion was brief because her father turned into a zombie when the experimental jamu he boasted to be an 'eternal youth potion' transformed him into a walking dead.

Soon after he became a zombie, the next scenes turned into violent chaos. He began attacking people, turning them into zombies like him, as the family and others in the village fought back to survive.

The last few minutes of the film seem to suggest that the zombie apocalypse is difficult to contain. It has even spread beyond the small village, as the post-credit shows Sadimin sent a sample of the potion to a potential investor.

Mrs. Grace from Jakarta is shown flaunting her youthful appearance after taking the elixir, and the audience doesn't have to see what happens to her next. She will definitely turn into a zombie like Sadimin.

This means the zombie apocalypse will spread beyond rural areas and reach urban centres. With Mrs. Grace expected to turn more people into her kind in Jakarta, the survivors will definitely have a hard time keeping themselves safe from the infected.

The movie has an open ending, hinting at a potential sequel.

What Did The Audience Say About The Elixir?

The Elixir is a good film to watch, especially if you enjoy zombie movies. However, if you are very technical and detailed, you might be disappointed.

Netflix's newest zombie movie only received a 25% rating from over 50+ audience members on Rotten Tomatoes. Although they watched the entire movie, they didn't like it for some reason.

Some said the characters were not as lovable, and others felt the plot was not as tight as the director probably envisioned. One even criticised the idea of a possible sequel.

The audience said it was the 'worst zombie movie' they had seen, but they finished it because 'it piqued my interest in how dumber and dumber the story will end.' The audience concluded that it was 'trash' and criticised its 'audacity to have an ending open for a sequel.'

The critics were not as harsh, with many loving the film. The Elixir received a much higher score —70% —from 10 critics.

Claire Lewis from Polygon said the film served scares and they were 'effective scares.' LaNeysha Campbell said it was a 'gory, unpredictable thriller that's messy as it is mesmerising.'

Some X users love the film. One even asked why 'all the good zombie movies and series [are] in [Asia].'

The Elixir remains a great movie if you want a good scare this weekend.

The Elixir streams on Netflix.