"Searching" (2018) Film Review

“Searching”: a haunting story told completely through the lens of modern technology.

Directed by: Aneesh Chaganty

Rated: PG-13

Runtime: 1:42

Review by: Livi Edmonson

Actor John Cho stars in this modern technological thriller as David Kim, who is the widowed man and father of 16-year-old Margot Kim. David thinks everything in Margot’s life is normal: she has friends, she goes to study groups, and also attends piano lessons, as far as he knows. One night, Margot doesn’t return from study group and David soon finds that she is missing.

 A determined detective is assigned to the case, but it has now been 37 hours, and no one has found any clues. David continues to investigate Margot’s personal life anymore and decides to dig through her laptop. David finds a few more hints as to where his daughter could have disappeared to that night, but what he ultimately learns in doing this is that he maybe didn’t know his teenage daughter as well as he thought he did. 

What I didn’t know about “Searching” before seeing the film was that the whole entire flick is told through technology. More specifically, the whole film is captured through facetimes, text messages, digital camera lenses, and even through news videos and articles on YouTube, as well as other websites. This element of cinematography automatically differentiated the film from other films and did an amazing job of keeping its audience entertained. 

I feel that the film’s use of technology not only made it suspenseful to watch, but also gave it an eerier tone by making its audience realize how much of our life we spend on social media, using technology to communicate. The only clues David can find about Margot in the film are literally all found inside her laptop. I think this example in itself shows how this generation of the parent-teen relationship is no longer how it used to be traditionally because teens spend more and more time communicating with parents and peers on their devices, instead of in person and parents are deeming this to be the norm.

   

“Searching” is just one example of a hyper-thriller film that is receiving so much attention in the film industry. Audience members and critics love to see films that they can relate to, and whether they want to admit it or not, everyone in this day and age is again, always on their social media. Because our world is extremely tech-savvy now, filmmakers are bringing this to the big screen, in hopes that it will show us somewhat of a reflection of our own lives that are consumed in the media. Yes, the film’s frightening plot is what specifically makes this thriller sometimes scary and extremely suspenseful, but the suspense in my opinion always came from the haunting facetime chats that John Cho was seen participating in throughout the entire movie. 

Another thing that is really unique about seeing a film’s cinematography told through technology devices is that you are receiving the characters’ initial reactions to news and conversations. Usually in the thriller film genre, the character has more time to react to something. For example, you see their facial expressions and there is usually a hallowing score to basically build up to a moment that people know is coming. Because all of the conversations and plot twists all happen first hand in this movie, you don’t know what to expect which not only makes it more intriguing, but also nervously entertaining. 

In conclusion, if you like to see films that keep you on the edge of your seat but are not scary enough to give you nightmares, “Searching” is the flick for you. By showing its audience a refreshing new way to tell a suspenseful and at moments, touching story, this film is by far one of the best films you will see this year. However, don’t get me wrong: the film is very, very simple. But it’s intelligent storyline that contains a new plot twist in almost every scene makes up for the simplicity it brings us in being shown from basically a MacBook Pro the whole time. 

The movie is brilliant, and you should definitely go to your theater and see it now because I have somewhat of a small hunch that “Searching” might have a pretty good shot in awards season. I smell Oscar bait…