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Acacia

Original title: Akasia
  • 2003
  • R
  • 1h 43m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
Acacia (2003)
HorrorThriller

After unsuccessfully trying to have a baby of their own, Dr. Kim Do-il and his father convince his wife Choi Mi-sook to adopt a child in an orphanage. Mi-sook is connected to arts and choose... Read allAfter unsuccessfully trying to have a baby of their own, Dr. Kim Do-il and his father convince his wife Choi Mi-sook to adopt a child in an orphanage. Mi-sook is connected to arts and chooses the six years Kim Jin-sung that loves to draw trees. The boy becomes close to the eight ... Read allAfter unsuccessfully trying to have a baby of their own, Dr. Kim Do-il and his father convince his wife Choi Mi-sook to adopt a child in an orphanage. Mi-sook is connected to arts and chooses the six years Kim Jin-sung that loves to draw trees. The boy becomes close to the eight years old next door neighbor Min-jee and is attracted to an old Acacia tree in their lawn.... Read all

  • Director
    • Ki-hyeong Park
  • Writers
    • Sung Ki-young
    • Ki-hyeong Park
  • Stars
    • Shim Hye-jin
    • Kim Jin-geun
    • Moon Oh-bin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.6/10
    2.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Ki-hyeong Park
    • Writers
      • Sung Ki-young
      • Ki-hyeong Park
    • Stars
      • Shim Hye-jin
      • Kim Jin-geun
      • Moon Oh-bin
    • 22User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 2 nominations total

    Photos9

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    Top cast9

    Edit
    Shim Hye-jin
    Shim Hye-jin
    • Choi Mi-sook
    Kim Jin-geun
    • Kim Do-il
    Moon Oh-bin
    • Kim Jin-seong
    Jeong Na-yoon
    • Min-ji
    Jung Gi-sub
    Jung Gi-sub
    • Intern
    Jeong Hee-tae
    Jeong Hee-tae
    • Seong-joon
    Son Jong-hwan
    Jaeun Koo
    Jaeun Koo
    • Student
    Lee Young-hee
    • Mi-sook's Mother
    • Director
      • Ki-hyeong Park
    • Writers
      • Sung Ki-young
      • Ki-hyeong Park
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews22

    5.62.1K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    8cadillac20

    Nice little horror film.

    While Acacia won't really wow anyone, it is a nice little film that is a bit surprising. Almost immediately there is a good establishment of creepiness, most of which comes from the excellent camera work and music. Then there is the little boy who was an excellent pick for the movie. The story is different from typical horror, but conforms to the typical Asian horror style of taking something average and making it into a nightmarish object of hell, in this case an Acacia tree in the backyard of a family.

    The story tells about a young couple who wish to have a child. Since they have been unsuccessful in making one, they decide to adopt. They take into their home a 10 year old boy with an obsession for trees. Once home, he immediately comes to love their dying Acacia tree in the backyard. However, almost immediately after he is brought home, strange things start to happen. And when the family does have a child of their own, it only gets worse.

    Yes, the movie is a bit slow, but there are enough familiar elements, and the story is interesting enough to warrant a complete viewing. Both the camera-work and the acting is excellent, as well as the direction. Some of the shots are noteworthy and the sense of horror here is both subdued and in the cheese arena. You might find yourself giggling at some of the scenes, but the by the end, you should find yourself with something that you have enjoyed. One other positive note is that this film isn't complicated. There may be a bit of confusion throughout, but by the end, it is a pretty clear story, something that seems to be a bit rare in Asian cinema. So, if you don't mind your Asian horror straight up, then you might wanna give this a try.
    8HumanoidOfFlesh

    A slow-moving but creepy South Korean horror.

    "Acacia" stars Hye-jin Shim and Jin-guen Kim as a married couple unable to conceive a child.The husband is a doctor and the wife spends her time judging student art and knitting.Things change when the couple adopts six year old Jin-seong,a mysterious boy obsessed with drawing pictures of an acacia tree that he believes is the reincarnation of his dead mother.Soon the wife becomes pregnant and Jin-seong becomes more unhappy.On one rainy night he disappears mysteriously..."Acacia" is a slow-moving horror film with plenty of creepy atmosphere.It's a psychologically spooky little horror flick with a supremely dark score.The film delivers a few unexpected surprises and is wonderfully shot and photographed,so if you are a fan of Asian horror you can't miss it.8 out of 10.
    pinoy_na_man

    acacia review

    this movie was terrible!!! what a complete waste of time and money, not only for me but for the people involved in shooting this film. The movie is like watching a preview for an hour and a half. Absolutley disgusted with the attempt at film making. Editing is at its worst ever and the main focus of the movie is the wife thinking. Just showing 100 different angles of a person thinking does not make it very interesting! I am speechless...quite possibly this production will be the laughing stock of all intl. films, if any one even notices it. This review is purely fair and reasonable, not being harsh in anyway. The movie was the absolute rock bottom of the movie world. I enjoyed the previews 100x more.
    Dethcharm

    Family Issues...

    ACACIA is a solid chiller about an adopted boy, his new family, and the dead acacia tree in their backyard. All seems well until mum gets pregnant, and bad things start happening.

    On one level this is a story of loneliness, jealousy, and extreme guilt. It's also about insanity, revenge, and death. The psychological and supernatural elements merge into a well-told, subtle, yet emotionally charged ghost story. Watch it and allow it to creep up on you...
    3Atavisten

    Awkward horror

    About an adopted child in a family who when the parents get a child naturally, gets ignored. He then makes a close connection to an acacia tree in the garden.

    This is built up like most other Asian horror films, that is slow moving, using good cinematographers and focusing on creating atmosphere rather than just shocks. Somehow it manages to fail completely. When it tries to build up tension, the over the top editing takes it quickly away. The editing tries to make the film clever, instead it makes me not take it seriously at all. About the drama; how can they ignore their adopted son so soon? This looks like a cash-in on the horror boom and should be avoided.

    Trees can be very scary, this is not.

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    Related interests

    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Crazy credits
      The first several seconds of the end credits roll over an additional flashback.

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 17, 2003 (South Korea)
    • Country of origin
      • South Korea
    • Language
      • Korean
    • Also known as
      • Root of Evil
    • Production companies
      • Bandai Namco Pictures Entertainment (BNPE)
      • Show East
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $2,200,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 1h 43m(103 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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