What Is Acacia About?
The premise of Acacia in 277 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a quiet Korean suburb, a childless couple, Mi-sook and Do-il, open their home to an orphaned boy named Lee Jin‑seong. The modest house, set against a backdrop of ordinary daily life, quickly becomes the center of an uncanny quiet, anchored by an ancient acacia tree that stands in the backyard. The tree, seemingly dead at first, holds a mysterious allure for the boy, who senses a strange, almost maternal connection to its gnarled limbs.
The film cultivates a lingering sense of unease, balancing the warmth of a newly formed family with an undercurrent of something otherworldly rooted in the natural world. As Mi‑sook discovers she is pregnant, the household’s fragile equilibrium shifts, and the presence of the tree takes on an increasingly portentous tone. The couple’s hopes for a brighter future are subtly tangled with the boy’s enigmatic bond to the vegetation, creating a tension that feels both intimate and expansive.
While the family attempts to navigate this new chapter of parenthood, the boy’s attachment to the acacia begins to manifest in unsettling ways, hinting at forces that lie just beyond the edges of ordinary perception. The atmosphere is suffused with muted dread, using quiet domestic moments to amplify a creeping dread that something hidden in the roots may be reaching outward.
Through careful, measured pacing, the story invites viewers to linger in the stillness of the everyday while feeling the slow, insidious pull of an unseen presence. The narrative’s tone is one of restrained horror, where the line between love and fear blurs, leaving an echoing question about what truly anchors a soul to a place—family, memory, or the silent whisper of an ancient tree.
What Happens in Acacia?
The complete story of Acacia, from the first scene to the last, in 323 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 5 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Unable to have children of their own, married couple Mi-sook and Do-il adopt a young boy named Lee Jin-seong. His name soon becomes Kim Jin-seong as he settles into their home. The boy feels a strong pull toward an acacia tree in the backyard, believing it to be his mother, and the tree quickly becomes the focal point of unsettling events when Jin-seong appears to have vanished.
Jin-seong forms a connection with an older girl, Min-jee, who confesses that she cannot attend school because she has “lost a lot of blood.” After she kisses him, his behavior grows more erratic and violent. His turmoil intensifies as Mi-sook becomes pregnant and gives birth to a new baby, Hae-sung. Jin-seong’s emotional distress deepens, he withdraws, and anger toward his adoptive family surfaces—so much so that he attempts to harm the newborn.
In response to Jin-seong’s escalating obsession with the acacia tree, Mi-sook makes the drastic choice to cut it down, and the boy is said to have run away. Yet the tree that seemed near dead begins to bloom with astonishing life after his disappearance. Min-jee undergoes a troubling change too, growing more fixated on the tree and reporting eerie experiences: she claims to hear Jin-seong’s voice emanating from within the trunk and witnesses a surge of paranormal activity around the tree, including flowers and ants that appear to target Jin-seong’s family.
What unfolds reveals a tragic secret: Mi-sook’s mother, Mi-sook’s mother, recalls how Jin-seong was gravely injured when Mi-sook tried to cut down the tree. Her husband saw what happened and helped bury their adopted son, thinking he was dead. When Jin-seong’s arm moved, signaling he was alive, Do-il struck the buried body with a shovel to finish the act. Stricken by guilt and stress, Mi-sook’s mother slides into a deep illusion, convinced that her son has run away, a conviction that erodes her grip on reality and shadows the family with lingering tragedy.
Acacia Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
12 key events in the order they happen, from “Adoption and move to a new home” to “The cycle of guilt and obsession continues”. 12 events name a place, across 10 locations.
- 1
Adoption and move to a new home
Mi-sook and Do-il adopt a young boy named Jin-seong and bring him into their home. His name is later changed to Kim Jin-seong as he settles in with the couple. The acacia tree in their backyard quickly becomes a focal point in his new life and imagination.
When:initial Where:Mi-sook and Do-il's house and backyard
- 2
Jin-seong forms a bond with the acacia tree
Jin-seong is drawn to the acacia tree in the backyard and believes it is his mother. The tree becomes a center for unsettling events as he starts acting as if he has run away. His attachment to the tree marks the first signs of the disturbing influence it will have on his life.
When:shortly after adoption Where:Backyard of the family home
- 3
Jin-seong befriends Min-jee
Jin-seong befriends an older girl named Min-jee, who tells him she cannot attend school due to blood loss. After she kisses him, Jin-seong becomes more aggressive. The encounter marks the emergence of Jin-seong's darker impulses.
When:early friendship Where:Neighborhood and Jin-seong's home
- 4
Mi-sook becomes pregnant and the new baby arrives
Mi-sook becomes pregnant and gives birth to a baby named Hae-sung. Jin-seong's mood shifts toward withdrawal and anger as his sense of stability diminishes. The growing family dynamic intensifies the underlying tensions.
When:mid pregnancy to birth Where:Family home
- 5
Jin-seong's violence escalates
Jin-seong's emotional difficulties deepen and he grows more volatile toward his adopted family. His aggression peaks when he tries to smother the newborn Hae-sung, revealing a chilling loss of control. The incident confirms a dangerous change in his behavior.
When:after Hae-sung's birth Where:Family home
- 6
Mi-sook chops down the acacia tree
Frustrated by Jin-seong's fixation, Mi-sook decides to chop down the acacia tree. The act ignites a new crisis, and Jin-seong is said to have run away afterward. The tree's removal is a turning point in the family's dynamics.
When:soon after the baby is born Where:Backyard
- 7
The tree blooms and Min-jee changes
After Jin-seong's disappearance, the acacia tree blooms with unusual life. Min-jee's behavior shifts—she grows obsessed with the tree and claims to hear Jin-seong's voice from inside it. Paranoraml phenomena begin to unfold around the tree, affecting others in the family.
When:post-disappearance Where:Backyard near the tree
- 8
Revelation of the accident and burial
It is revealed that Jin-seong was gravely injured by accident when his mother tried to chop down the tree. Do-il witnessed the injury and helped bury him, believing he was dead. This revelation reframes the family’s fears and guilt surrounding Jin-seong's fate.
When:revelation moment Where:Backyard burial site
- 9
Jin-seong's alive arm and final burial
When Jin-seong's arm moves, proving he is alive, Do-il kills him by finishing the burial with a shovel. The moment isolates the family in its tragedy and seals Jin-seong’s fate in their stories. The act is driven by shock and denial following the earlier injury.
When:upon discovery of life Where:Backyard burial site
- 10
Mother’s guilt manifests as a delusion
Overwhelmed by guilt and stress, Jin-seong's mother creates an illusion that her adopted son ran away. She clings to this false memory as a coping mechanism, gradually losing grip on reality. Her mental state worsens as the mysterious events surrounding the tree intensify.
When:post-burial Where:Family home, later isolation
- 11
Paranormal events intensify around the tree
With Jin-seong believed dead by the family, the acacia tree continues to radiate life and triggers more supernatural occurrences. Flowers and ants attack members of Jin-seong's family, while Min-jee and others report eerie sounds and voices. The tree becomes the epicenter of the haunting narrative.
When:post-burial or ongoing Where:Backyard around the tree
- 12
The cycle of guilt and obsession continues
The family remains trapped in a cycle of guilt, fear, and fascination with the tree and Jin-seong's supposed presence. Min-jee's obsession mirrors the mother's deteriorating mental state, suggesting that the past tragedy continues to shape their lives. The conclusion leaves open the fates of the characters and the lingering influence of the acacia tree.
When:final Where:Family home and surroundings
Who Are the Main Characters in Acacia?
6 characters, among them Choi Mi-sook (Shim Hye-jin), Kim Do-il (Kim Jin-geun) and Kim Jin-seong (Moon Woo-Bin): who each one is and the part they play in the story. 5 of them link to the actor’s page.
- CM
Choi Mi-sook (Shim Hye-jin)
Played by Shim Hye-jin
Mi-sook is a childless wife who longs for a family and embraces adoption. She faces mounting stress as Jin-seong's fixation on the acacia escalates into aggression. Her pregnancy with Hae-sung strains the household further, and her guilt underpins the family's unraveling.
- 👪 Family dynamics
- 💔 Guilt
- KD
Kim Do-il (Kim Jin-geun)
Played by Kim Jin-geun
Do-il is the husband who participates in burying Jin-seong after the boy's apparent death. His guilt and fear drive him to protect the family while wrestling with the secret they conceal. The trauma pushes him toward a difficult moral line as the truth threatens to surface.
- 👨👩👦 Family dynamics
- 💔 Guilt
- KJ
Kim Jin-seong (Moon Woo-Bin)
Played by Moon Woo-Bin
Kim Jin-seong is the adopted boy whose bond with the acacia marks him as different. He grows increasingly aggressive and fixated on the tree, forming a dangerous attachment that clashes with his adoptive parents. Although presumed dead after a burial, his arm movement reveals he is alive, underscoring the fragility of the family and the depth of the trauma.
- 🧩 Trauma
- 🧠 Instability
- M(
Min-ji (Jung Na-Yoon)
Played by Jung Na-Yoon
Min-ji is an older girl who befriends Jin-seong. She tells him she cannot attend school due to illness and loss of blood, and after kissing Jin-seong, she becomes complicit in the increasing obsession with the acacia. Her involvement deepens the mystery and feeds the supernatural occurrences around the tree.
- 👭 Friendship
- 🔮 Influence
- H
Hae-sung
Hae-sung is the baby born during the unfolding crisis, representing new life amid the family’s growing turmoil. The infant becomes a focal point around which rival tensions swirl, highlighting the stakes of the family’s stability.
- 👶 New life
- 🪵 Tension
- MM
Mi-sook's Mother
Played by Lee Young-hee
Mi-sook's mother is an elder presence within the family who witnesses the unraveling and the emotional strain of the events. She contributes to the household dynamics and the family’s responses to Jin-seong's behavior and the acacia’s hold over them.
- 👵 Family support
- 🔒 Secrets
Where and When Is Acacia Set?
Acacia is set in Korean suburban home and backyard with an acacia tree. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Korean suburban home, backyard with an acacia tree
The story unfolds primarily inside a modest Korean family home with a notable backyard. The acacia tree in the yard is a focal point, as Jin-seong believes it to be his mother and it drives many events. The backyard becomes a liminal space where private grief and escalating tension spill into the supernatural.
- 🏡 Suburban home
- 🌳 Acacia tree
- 👪 Family dynamics
What Are the Themes of Acacia?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Tree Obsession, Guilt and Secrets and Family Fragility.
-
01
Tree Obsession
Jin-seong's fixation on the acacia tree drives the central hauntings and shifts the family's dynamics. The tree becomes a mirror for longing and misdirected maternal attachment, blurring what is real. As the tree blooms again after Jin-seong's disappearance, the boundary between memory and the supernatural grows thinner. Through this obsession, the film explores how trauma can fixate a person and manifest as external threats.
-
02
Guilt and Secrets
Mi-sook's pregnancy and the accidental harm to Jin-seong trigger a cascade of guilt that distorts perception. Do-il's complicity in burying the boy adds a heavy secret that poisons family trust. To cope, Mi-sook constructs an illusion of Jin-seong having run away, allowing guilt to fester. The concealed truth fuels the haunting atmosphere around the acacia and the family.
-
03
Family Fragility
Adoption, new life, and sudden violence push the family toward fragmentation. Jin-seong's aggression isolates him from Mi-sook and Do-il as they wrestle with understanding him. The arrival of a new baby deepens the conflict, highlighting how fragile family bonds can be under pressure. Ultimately, unresolved trauma threatens to destroy the family's stability.
What Kind of Film Is Acacia?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A deeply unsettling and tragic supernatural horror film that builds an oppressive atmosphere around a haunted family, culminating in a bleak revelation of murder and psychological decay.
- unsettling
- oppressive
- tragic
- melancholic
- atmospheric
- anxious
- family relationships
- adoption
- supernatural horror
- grief and guilt
Content notes: child murder, child endangerment, buried alive, psychological trauma.
Quiz
How well do you remember Acacia? Test yourself on the story.
