Searching Review

Searching.

Social Media is scary.

Searching is a film that you view the exact same way as I’m writing this review, through a computer screen. The only thing I knew about this film heading into it was that the entire film was presented via digital devices. Now a couple of years ago I had my first experience with a film of this style. In 2014 I seen Unfriended which was filmed in the exact same manor, a dire film that I will never re-watch and have no intention of seeing the sequel. The film felt like just because it was different visually that the audience would think it was a great movie. The problem is that different doesn’t mean great. Just because your score is created by the lead characters Spotify doesn’t mean your film can get away with being a generic run of the mill horror movie. The gimmick was used as a sort of exclamation of “Hey look we don’t need a good story if we’re different!”. Movies aren’t great because of gimmicks. You need to have a movie in there. Just Compare Memento to Hardcore Henry. Memento which featured s backwords structure while Hardcore Henry was filmed in first person using a go pro. Now both concepts are great but only one of the films is worth watching. Why? Well Memento had a wonderfully compelling story with terrific performances while Hardcore Henry just felt like an energy drink Ad. So how does searching Fare. Is it content with being different or does it strive to be the best movie that it can be. Well put it this way, I left Searching feeling like I seen the best thriller of the year.

Searching tells the story of David Kim, a widow who when his 16-year-old goes missing he must take matters into his own hands and search through her digital footprints to try and find her. The opening few minutes of the film plays out like a live action Up. I adored the opening which tells the rise and fall of David’s relationship with his wife Pamela and his daughter Margot through the families first computer. The sequence was beautiful to watch, leaving me with an enormous lump in my throat. Director Aneesh Chaganty deserves major acclaim for how he managed to make nearly the entire theatre cry. The mystery itself the film then goes off into an unpredictable mystery thriller as to what happened to Margot. Thankfully the mystery is not ludicrous or predictable. I was left guessing the entire film as to what exactly happened. Sometimes in mystery films your able to guess what happened inside 5 minutes so it’s refreshing when a film is intelligent enough to keep you guessing until the end.

John Cho is a revelation as David Kim. The actor Is probably best known for playing Harold in the Harold and Kumar series and more recently for playing Sulu in the rebooted Star Trek series. The actor carried this movie on his back. His acting was terrific as the parent whose world is crumbling all around him. David is never presented as faultless. The relationship between David and Margot (Michelle Li) is strained as he before he disappeared he was emotionally missing from her life following the death of Pamela (Sarah Sloan). Cho gives a performance that I didn’t know he was capable of. The grief he manages to express in facial expressions and tone of voice is phenomenal. In my head I was like is Cho old enough to be the father of a 16-year-old girl? A quick google search blew me away to find out that the actor is 46. Cho’s stock surely must be on the up following Searching as the actor has proven that he has what it takes to be a leading man who can give a performance that will floor you.

Now let’s talk about technology in Searching. Thankfully the film doesn’t waste its gimmick. Social media is used throughout the entirety of David’s investigation. The way it was used was realistic, from Passwords being barriers to internet trolls using tragedy to get people to hate them, Searching knows exactly how the internet works. The problem with many films that tackle the internet is that they feel dated before they even are released, just look at the god-awful Emoji Movie, but Searching feels fresh and up to date. The film is at times pure silence as no character is playing music, this amplified the tension way more than a score could have. The film also made sure to use multiple websites instead of just Facebook and Twitter, it wasn’t obnoxious to the fact that there are many other popular social media platforms other than the two juggernauts. When I saw that Sony were the studio behind the film I was worried that it would be a chance for them to fill their movie with product placement which they have been known to do in the past., but surprisingly I don’t think I seen one Sony product at all in the film. I’m glad that the studio wasn’t obnoxious and used the film as an opportunity to showcase all their products. Thankfully the use of technology elevated this film, it was extremely innovative. It was refreshing to see a mystery movie that didn’t star detectives. Sure, Detective Kim (Debra Messing) is the most important side character but she never took the movie away from David who does the more unusual investigating that isn’t normally shown.

Overall Searching is a film that I urge you all to go and see. The film is a must see in cinema as I feel watching it in a big audience is much more enjoyable than watching it at home, hearing everyone gasp at the same time is always fun. The only negative thing I have to say is that the presence of Debra Messing and Joseph Lee leave a lot to be desired. Peter could have been cut entirely and it wouldn’t have made too much of an impact. Searching is not only an amazing mystery but also an amazing insight into how fragile a relationship between a widow and child can be. So, go to your local cinema now to see Searching! You won’t find a better mystery film all year. Now if you excuse me I’m turning off my laptop because technology scares me now.

Liam’s Searching Summary

Best Moment: The opening sequence left my heart crying.

Worst Moment: The anti Weed message belomged in another movie

Best Character: David Kim showed me that I need more John Cho in my life.

Worst Character: Peter should have been in Harold and Kumar not Searching.

Overall rating: 4/5