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Overall Rating : 7/10
Directed By : Ki-Hyung Park
Hye-jin Shim
Jin-geun Kim
Oh-bin Mun
Na-yoon Jeong
Supplied By : Tartan Asia Exteme
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Dec. 7, 2005
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| PLOT After 10 years of marriage, Do-il and Mi-sook live a seemingly happy and secure life together. Unable to conceive, they decide to adopt Jin-Sung, a young boy that Mi-sook is drawn to after seeing his Munch-like paintings. Quiet and introverted, Jin-Sung spends most of his time playing underneath the Acacia tree in their backyard, away from the family. When Mi-sook becomes miraculously pregnant, he becomes even more detached. As the once-dead Acacia tree in the backyard begins to bloom, terrible “accidents” start to tear the household apart. Is it Jin-Sung or something far more sinister? |
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| THE REVIEW With our first of many Asian horror reviews to come, we first have the Korean flick ACACIA, which turns out to be brilliant! Two young aspiring parents, Mi-sook and Do-il long for a child. Unable to have one of their own, the couple decides to adopt. While at the agency, Mi-sook notices the drawings that one of the orphans had done. Impressed with his work, Mi-sook advises that this child by the name of Jin-sung is the child they have been waiting for. Everything seems perfect with the new family, until that is, Mi-sook becomes pregnant with the couples biological child. This sends little Jin-sung into a pit of jealousy and he tries to distant himself from his adopted parents. He then befriends on old and deceased Acacia tree that stands in the families front yard, this is the only friend he has except for a young female playmate that lives next door. It is until one night, that Jin-sung has had it, and since all the attention of his parents are elsewhere, he goes into a rage and storms out of the house. Jin-sung does not come back and is presumed to be missing, or is he? Within days of his disappearance, the old Acacia tree in which he confided in, suddenly blooms and begins to live again. It seems that the tree has an aura that is taking over everything that surrounds it. I'd like to say that I thought this film was amazing! Up until now, I have never been one to watch Asian horror, I have seen previously about two, or three Asian flicks. I can't believe what I have been missing here... I can tell you that Asian filmmakers do have a distinct art form and vision down for their work, that is unlike any American style. It seems to me that, yes American horror owned the 70's and 80's, but with our stale and typical trend of teen screams that keep on popping up, Asia is truly dominating us in the field nowadays. ACACIA, is not as predictable as many of of the horror movies that are out today. In fact, it takes the entire film for you just to figure it out, which makes it all the more clever. I really liked the fact that the little boy, goes into like a possessed rage, you could just see the intensity in his eyes and hear it in his voice. Besides Jin-sung, the boy, the tree becomes a main character as well, just like the infamous house in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, and is also similar. It's similar, because just like house you believe that it has some kind of control over the people near by. I can't say too much about the inner plot of the film without ruining the entire film for all of you. So instead of revealing it, I will say that ACACIA, leaves you to think, you will be thinking until the very end, it also have an unexpected twist, which is still quite confusing, I admit, but above all else, this film has the brains, as it is both clever and smart....something that is refreshing. |
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| GORE
METER 4.5/10 Through the first quarter of the film there is not much gore to be seen. Perhaps most of the gore shows up near the films end. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 6/10 As you would've probably guessed, the music in the film is oriental inspired, sort of ambient....I liked it |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM This film makes me feel as if I have been missing out on something. This movie is really brilliant in terms of thought and Woo-Bin Moon was awesome as Jin-sung, his expressions were empowering! I went in being not all that much an Asian horror fan, but came out highly satisfied, I recommend this even if you're not a fan of these, or better yet... if you haven't seen any at all! |
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