Searching
By Gregory McLinden
I will start off by saying that I wish this film got more attention when it was released. I think what put a lot of people off is that the story is told through the eyes of technology whether its the character 'accidentally' leaving the webcam on, or a news report, or CCTV, or a camera on a phone, whatever it may be the entire film is told through technology, and I feel that put a lot of people off. Don't let it put you off though because this film is one of the best mystery/detective films released in a long time. I personally think this film is incredible and the unique way in which the story is told really adds to the suspense and urgency of the film. This is because you're not following a police precinct or detective trying to solve a crime, you're following David, his wife dies (don't worry this isn't a spoiler) and the only thing good he has left in his life is his daughter Margot. So when she goes missing, his world is turned upside down. David is played by John Cho who delivers and absolutely incredible performance especially when you consider the difference in storytelling to that of a typical film. The normality of the situation and the fact we are watching the story unfold from a father's perspective really adds to the emotion, this is only reinforced when we are watching David's laptop and watching him go back through old photos and videos of his family. This film is also incredibly suspenseful. This is something you may think wouldn't be there because of the way in which the story is told, but it absolutely is - even more so than some other iconic detective films. Searching will put you on the edge of your seat and you will remain here for the duration of the film, I can assure of you of that. It keeps you guessing. There are plenty of twists, turns and red herrings as with any good mystery and by the end of it you will immediately want to go back and watch it again. A final word of warning though - you need to watch this film either with somebody, or know somebody that has watched this film before because you will want/need to talk to somebody once you have finished it.
logline: After his 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a desperate father breaks into her laptop to look for clues to find her.
Source: IMDb
My Favorite Characters:
John Cho as David Kim - John Cho is incredible - lets just say that straight away. After watching Searching I have been looking out for any other film he stars in and always make sure to give them a watch because he gives an absolute performance for the ages in Searching. If you manage to watch this film and not root for David and feel every emotion he feels then put it back to the start and start watching it again until you do. He has been through so much in his life as we see in the first few moments of the film, so when his life is turned upside down once again you can't help but feel emotional for David and, like I said above, this is only enhanced by the way this film is shot. Not only this but the incredible performance Cho gives really makes you empathise and want to help David crack the case. This is John Cho's film. The performance he gives is incredible, and given how little he has to work with in terms of cinematography or location he does wonders with the minimalist nature of the film.
This movie is rated PG-13 in the US and 12 in the UK. Here’s why:
Infrequent strong language
Moderate Violence
Drug References
Something I liked: I know it may not be everyone's cup of tea but I really enjoyed the story and film being presented through technology. When sitting down to watch it I admit I had my doubts. I looked at the running time and was wondering if after 1hr 40 minutes if it may get more annoying than anything. But it didn't and if anything it really added to the story. I felt engaged in the story and film purely because of the way it was told, I think because it made it relatable there were times you were watching him go through Facebook or texting and even though these are very simple things it makes you relate to the characters and the story. It also means you get very select camera angles and the camera is normally very rigid (other than when the story changes to a news broadcast) because it takes the form mostly of computer webcams so you really feel part of David's life and like he is talking to you, you're in his bedroom watching him getting stressed and worried about Margot, you are part of his life and his story watching it all be played out. It may not be for everyone but I personally really enjoyed this unique and engrossing way of telling a story.
Fun Fact: The film took only 13 days to film, but took two years to make with prep and animation of the technology on screen, with every web page seen on screen being animated.
Where to Watch:
Sky Cinema and NowTV in the UK
Starz, SlingTV, Hulu in the US
Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Store, YouTube for rent or purchase