Searching (2018)

Sure Searching has a gimmick. Shot from the point of view of computer, phone, and tablet screens, everything you see in the film searching, the story of a father trying to track down his teenage daughter who went missing, is something the appears on a screen. This isn't the first film to do this. The 2014 horror film Unfriended works the same way. Is it an examination of our online culture, an appeal to an audience who is used to viewing media in a different way than traditional film is used to, or just a gimmick? I'm not sure I have the answer but it works. Searching is a damn fun thriller whose somewhat claustrophobic use of its gimmick adds to the tension in ways that made me feel if this had been shot traditionally it likely would have felt far less gripping.

There is an urgency to Searching which is heightened by its use of screen imagery. Director Aneesh Chaganty, who I haven't heard of before, taps into something both original and quite familiar. We all interact on screens all day and so much of how this film functions feels very truthful, authentic. And by needing to show everything through this medium, Searching avoids some of the traditional thriller tropes which often slog it down. So even when the twist appears, a twist which pushes the boundaries of suspension of disbelief, the film's structure helps it feel realistic.

A big part of why Searching works is its star John Cho. He has exhibited his star quality many times before but hasn't headlined many films like he does here. The structure of the film required someone with the gravitas to pull it off and he does. He gives a top notch performance.

Searching's main flaws are in the story, which is a little derivative and standard, but much of this is offset by the film's original approach and Cho's centered performance. It's an entertaining watch.

Searching
Starring: John Cho, Deborah Messing, Michelle La
Director: Aneesh Chaganty
Writers: Sev Ohanian, Aneesh Chaganty