‘My death should be reported through your voice’
The Anchor is a 2022 South Korean psychological thriller film about a TV presenter who is drawn into a murder cycle.
Written and directed by Ji-Yeon Jung, making her feature debut.
The DCG Plus-About Film-Insight Film co-production stars Chul-yoon Kim, Eun Sol Cho, Im Sung-jae, Ji Seung Seo, Ji-Hyun Park, Jung Soon-won, Kim Hyung-suk, Kim Young-pil, Lee Hae-woon, Lee Hye-yeong, Moon-cheol Nam, Park Se-hoon, Park Se-hyun, Rae-Hyung Cha, Seo Yi-Soo, Shin Ha-kyun and Woo-hee Chun.
Plot synopsis:
When anchorwoman Se-Ra receives a tip that the tipster is about to get killed, she goes out to report it, only to find the woman and her daughter’s bodies. With an exclusive report on this case, she solidifies her position at the station. However, she begins suffering from hallucinations and makes errors on live television and her role as the main anchorwoman is threatened…
Release:
The Anchor will be released by the Cinedigm Entertainment Group on the Screambox platform on Tuesday, December 20, 2022.
Reviews:
“Director Jung Ji-yeon instils the film with what I can only guess are some of her own experience as a woman working in media. As a result, the story – while occasionally fantastical its telling – is strikingly real […] An overly obvious third act twist does little to dampen the emotional and social punches that Anchor delivers.” The Asian Cinema Critic
“Overall, The Anchor is an engrossing motion picture that showcases a captivating performance from Woo-hee Chun. Chun is gripping as the titular tormented anchorwoman who grows more engaging as she goes toe-to-toe with the therapist, and while there’s this taut feeling of cat-and-mouse permeating from their part in this storyline, that feeling of unease begins with the phone call Se-Ra receives and, like an itch you can’t scratch, persists until the very end.” Horror Obsessive
“A straightforward mystery thriller with some excellent moments, The Anchor is going to be streaming soon from Screambox and definitely has the THR Seal of Approval. Check it out if you’re already a fan of J-horror or have any interest in getting into it. It’s a nice starter to avoid a lot of the nonsense that you often find in those movies, and while the scares are few the ambience and aura the film presents are fascinating.” The Horror Revolution
“The actors are as dead and grey as the characters they portray. The story is pretty stupid, and the last 20 minutes are tedious. This isn’t a movie you should watch if you like good crime thrillers with interesting characters. The characters are so cold in the worst South Korean style. And they can create unsympathetic characters you will hate. That is their speciality.” Not Only Hollywood
“The Anchor is a rather cool piece of psycho horror that manages to combine an atmosphere-heavy directing with clever storytelling that keeps one guessing throughout, to the point where it has one doubting one’s own perception, thanks to a highly twisted plot that refuses to give away too much of its game before absolutely necessary and that doesn’t shy away from contradicting itself (for perfectly logical reasons) should the story demand.” Search My Trash
“Overall, The Anchor will not surprise you that much if you are familiar with its genre territory, but it is a still solid thriller film with enough enjoyable elements besides another commendable performance from its lead actress […] I saw through it from the beginning, but I was entertained at least, so I will not grumble for now.” Seongyong’s Private Place
“Sera’s investigations take her to a dark place but eventually arrive in a kind of psychological wombscape in which she must finally kill the image of the mother in herself in order to escape her mother’s house in a symbolic vision of birthing a new self having reclaimed her individual identity. Elegantly lensed and filled with visions of refracting mirrors reflecting Sera’s identity crisis…” Windows on Worlds
YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
Original title:
앵커 aka Aengkeo
