Acacia (2003)

Directed by Ki-Hyung Park

Starring Hye-jin Shim, Jin-geun Kim, Oh-bin Mun, Na-yoon Jeong

Slow paced horror about a middle aged couple who adopt a boy, the woman picks him because of his artistic talent, personally if I saw his pictures, Id send him for psychiatric treatment but thats me.

The boy Jin-Seung is always drawing trees, quite often with disturbing looking figures near them, it turns out he believes that his mother died and became a tree so if hes not drawing them, hes talking to or hugging them. 

After a little bust up one day, Jin-Seung runs out in a storm and disappears, the police are informed but then the adoptive father starts having recurring nightmares, the mother starts cracking up and the next door neighbours little girl starts talking to the Acacia tree in the garden, strange things also happen to the grandparents. 

What has become of Jin-Seung, what is the truth about the Acacia tree and why have the parents suddenly gone mad?

If you dont mind the pacing its not a bad film, far more thoughtful than the average horror and if anything, its the scenes that try to make this a horror film which stand out as weak, it didnt need them, this would have made a fine psychological thriller without them.

The gore hounds wont enjoy it, but those who like a bit more in the way of a cerebral thriller will at least get some entertainment value from it.

If you enjoyed A Tale of Two Sisters theres a good chance youll enjoy Acacia.

Cheers Trev.

BBFC rated 15