SEARCHING REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In 2014, a horror film, named Unfriended, was released, however, it was different from other horrors as it was shot from the point-of-view of computer screens. The plot dealt with a supernatural force that was killing people through computers and, after its release, it received mixed reviews, with many critics saying that the shooting of the film through computer screens was its most impressive aspect. Searching uses this same technique to tell its story, however, is it just as impressive as Unfriended?

After David Kim (John Cho)'s 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a local investigation is opened and a detective is assigned to the case. But 37 hours later and without a single lead, David decides to search the one place no one has looked yet, where all secrets are kept today: his daughter's laptop. In a hyper-modern thriller told via the technology devices we use every day to communicate, David must trace his daughter's digital footprints before she disappears forever.

The most impressive aspect of Searching was the technique that director, Aneesh Chaganty, used to tell the story of a worried father desperately looking for his missing daughter. The technique was the filming of computer screens as David searches on his daughter's computer in order to find some clues that relate to her disappearance. Throughout the film, we see David researching his daughter's browsing history, viewing her social media accounts, her archived webchats and her banking accounts. We, as viewers, like David, are glued to the screen, trying to find anything that hints at what could've happened to Margot. This technique gives Searching a modern feel to it. In this day and age, it's hard to find anyone that isn't on some form of social media so a lot of viewers will recognise the websites that David visits. What impressed me the most about this technique was that the film never took place in the 'real' world. It's shown entirely through computer screens, emails, text messages, news broadcasts, security cameras and people's phones.

While Searching does feature a small cast, they each give strong performances, with John Cho standing out. Cho is best known for his portrayal of Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek trilogy and in various comedies, however, he perfectly captures that of a worried and anxious father. In the beginning, through a brilliantly edited montage, we see David's life with his wife, Pamela Nam Kim (Sara Sohn), and Margot through pictures and videos on his computer. We soon learn that, sadly, Pamela has cancer and she soon passes away. This leads to David's relationship with Margot becoming distant, due to the tragedy they both share. Throughout the film, David learns more and more about Margot's secret life on the Internet and he begins to wonder if he really knew her at all. This is defintely Cho's best dramatic performance and he proves that, outside of franchises and comedies, he can handle serious dramatic roles. Debra Messing also gave a strong performance as Detective Rosemary Vick who is assigned to David's case. She was thoroughly convincing as the Detective determined to solve the case, however, there is more to her character than meets the eye.

Mystery based films can be tricky to make as you have to keep the viewer guessing throughout its runtime. If a viewer can easily solve the mystery before the end of the film, it can ruin the viewing experience, leading it to become very predictable. The best mystery that comes to my mind is Denis Villeneuve's Prisoners, which was released in 2013 and boasted two strong leading performances from Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. The plot was similar to Searching as it dealt with a father looking for his daughter. It featured a lot of twists, which made for gripping viewing. Searching is just as thrilling and, because of the twists and turns that feature within its narrative, it remains unpredictable throughout. It never loses your focus. Just when you think the mystery has been solved and you think the film's over, it throws another twist at you, leaving you wondering, can anyone be trusted? Searching's main twist towards the end of the film shows that the guilty may be who you least expect.

Searching premiered at the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of the year and was released in cinemas last month. Since then, it has received mostly praise from both critics and audiences, which it deserves. Its story is thrilling and unpredictable and its timely premise and original execution are further bolstered by well-rounded characters brought to life by a talented cast, with a strong leading performance by John Cho.

8/10