"Searching" Movie Review

By: James Southworth
Rating: 4/5 Stars

It's not too surprising that a genre that has begun to gain traction is what I would dub "tech horror". This genre can be found in movies such as "Unfriended", "The Den", and "Selfie From Hell" (which, yes, is definitely as bad as the title sounds). These movies can be best compared to found footage, just done in a different way. These movies take place entirely behind a computer screen and on the Internet, instead of "real life". This is a cool idea, but all of these movies ran their entire premise on this one idea. They are basically gimmick movies. Even the best among them, "The Den", still relied on the idea that everything was behind a computer screen. The mere fact of this was what would make the movie automatically interesting (which, believe it or not, left plot and character development severely lacking for films like this). Director Aneesh Chaganty utilizes the tech horror genre, but instead turns it into a mystery/suspense film. In "Searching", David Kim's daughter Margot goes missing the night she tells her father that she's with a study group. In a desperate attempt to find her, David attempts to use the power of the Internet and social media, and the help of Detective Vick. But in the process, he begins to question how well he actually knew his daughter.

If there is one thing that I LOVED about "Searching", it's the fact that this movie doesn't use the idea that everything takes place behind computer screens as a gimmick. This part of the film does still make it unique in comparison to most films that have come out in 2018. This premise is what's bringing audiences into the theater. But, while I found this aspect of the film intriguing (and will certainly be discussing it in detail soon), that wasn't what made ultimately me invested while watching it. If anything, it was the fact that there is a real heart at the center of this film. The trailers for "Searching" had me prepared to go in for a white knuckled suspense ride as a father desperately tries to find his daughter. There's no denying that is a part of it. But, there's also a sort of framing narrative to this film. It didn't really need to be here, but the fact that it was proves to me that Chaganty was really passionate about making this film work on multiple levels. The beginning 5 minutes are actually some of its best moments. I don't want to spoil it to you entirely, but there is this montage of Margot growing up. The film uses a computer screen to tell her story from being born to the age she is in the present. This might sound like it shouldn't work; after all, many have made the argument that technology has begun to disconnect us. But, the way this montage is presented is so emotionally gripping. I was even tearing up a little by the end of the whole montage, which I was not at all prepared for going into this movie. And it's not like the movie abandons this little beginning plot thread throughout the rest of the film. While the remainder of the movie is more focused on David searching for his daughter, this plot point still plays a key role in defining a lot of the choices that both David and his daughter make. This film also pays attention to several consistent thematic arcs throughout the its run time: What makes a good parent? Is it one that constantly protects their child and is watching over them? Or is it one who gives their child a bit more freedom at the risk of them being in danger? Is it the parent's fault if they don't truly know their child? David struggles with all of these things throughout the film. It's quite interesting to watch him grapple with these thoughts. The film actually ends up coming to a definitive answer about parenthood, and it's really touching. This movie could've so easily taken a nihilistic route with its message about the relationships between parents and their children, but it doesn't. This was so refreshing to me in a time where a lot of films of the mystery/suspense genre often end things off on a hopeless note.

I obviously can't talk about this movie without discussing how it utilizes its technological core. Just to sort give this film a basis of comparison, I'll talk about "Unfriended" briefly. That movie had 4 characters together on a Skype call on their computers. They also typed in a group chat on their computers (the unknown killer also did this). The main character occasionally went through her pictures and emails. That was really about it for the film. It coasted by on the mere fact that its one unique quality was it taking place entirely behind a computer screen. "Searching" embraces technology in multiple forms. David talks to people through FaceTime, he texts his daughter through the computer, he looks up newspaper articles online, he looks at old family videos, he goes on social media websites. The variety of technology usage throughout this film is incredibly interesting on a visual level. It keeps the viewer on their toes, wondering how the technology will be used next. The film even makes the cool choice to go beyond the computer screen and transition to the TV screen, having news reels play. This adds an extra layer to the intrigue of the central mystery. The technology makes all of the threads of the central mystery feel initially confused to the viewer, as there are so many things to unpack. Chaganty expertly unfurls all these threads through the technology, and solves the mystery pretty cleanly by the end of the film. Though this movie shows how cool technology can be, it doesn't idealize it. There is some biting commentary about how people say they're one thing in real life, but act like a totally different person on the internet. Social media is shown to be a place where there's a fake sense of sincerity about things such as dealing with loss. People who try to be authentic on the internet, like Margot, will be easily targeted by those who abuse their internet privileges. There was one particular montage that had me laughing at loud at the ways it was critiquing our social media infused world. The commentary was so blackly comedic, and worked in an ingenious way. But for all this film's realism in addressing how dark a place the internet can be, it doesn't demonize technology either. Technology is how David is able to even have a chance to find his daughter. It's how he's able to store so many priceless memories of his daughter when she was younger. The film is very balanced in its commentary. It shows the internet for what it is. It criticizes those who use our social media world for their selfish gain, while celebrating those who use the internet to connect and find common ground with humanity.

The performances in this film are the points where this movie can falter a little bit. That is not the case, however, for John Cho as our protagonist David. If it wasn't for Cho's performance, this movie would have probably gotten a slightly lower rating from me, as the rest of the performances aren't as impressive. Cho shines throughout this whole movie. He brings plenty of likeability to his character. We're able to understand why he cares so much about finding his daughter. He shows how it goes beyond just them being related by blood. There's much more at stake. I just liked how real Cho felt. There was not a moment from him that rang false or felt inauthentic. He absorbs himself into the character of David and becomes him. In fact, I didn't realize until after watching the movie that this man was the same one who performed as Sulu in J.J. Abrams's "Star Trek" series. That's the level at which Cho delves into all of his performances. He is easily the best part of this movie, and it was constantly engaging to watch him. He shows the determinations, fears, and internal wounds that are all a part of David as he tries to find Margot. Sadly, the other performances in this film aren't as strong. I wouldn't call any of them awful by any means, but most just weren't memorable. Debra Messing gives a pretty comfortable performance as Detective Vick. This role felt a little too safe for me. She played this role like pretty much every other tough cop stereotype that you see in any number of police procedurals. Maybe it's because there is just such an excess of cop shows that I couldn't get invested in her performance. It's not like Messing is painful to watch or anything. Her performance didn't leave much of an impression for me, especially days after watching the film. Joseph Lee gives probably the weakest performance as David's brother Peter. The movie tried to bring out some of its comedic aspects through him. However, I felt like most of his punchlines didn't hit. They could elicit a mild chuckle at times, but more often they came across as awkward. I could actually see Lee giving a good performance with more time. There's definitely potential if he were to continue honing in on his comedic timing. Michelle La as Margot is a bit hit and miss in this film. There are definitely some moments with her that do work. Most of those moments are when she is interacting with David. It seemed like La and Cho had good chemistry whenever they were together. She had some decent moments by herself, but there were other moments when her turn just didn't work particularly well for me. Once again, I wouldn't call her performance bad by any means. It just isn't the type of performance that I'm going to think about in the future.

Even with some of the underwhelming performances, "Searching" is still overall an excellent film. This movie honestly surprised me. The film will keep you guessing with its twists and turns as the mystery unfolds. Even if you figure out the solution to the mystery before the end, there will still be some events that happen that you may not be expecting. John Cho's superb lead performance, compelling usage of technological elements, the surprising yet effective heart that drives the film, and the hard hitting thematic arcs all make this film more than worth watching. Believe the critical hype. This film deserves it, and may even end up as one of my favorites of the year (it should get an honorable mention at the very least). Please, go see it. I promise that you won't be disappointed!