'Searching' Is an Innovative, Masterful Thriller

Searching is, hands down, one of the best films of 2018.  It’s also, unfortunately, widely overlooked.  It deserves to be watched by more people, for it’s pretty groundbreaking.

It’s a film that is almost completely told through smartphone and computer screens.  While this isn’t the first movie to try such shtick – the Unfriended duology most notably did this in recent memory – it’s definitely the first movie that has utilized it beyond just a cheap gimmick, and as a result, its initial appeal doesn’t wear off.  Rather, Searching intelligently makes use of this unconventional filmmaking technique to truly create an incredible cinematic experience.

The plot is about a father named David Kim (Jon Cho) whose teenage daughter Margot (Michelle La) suddenly disappears one day.  While the official police investigation headed by detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing) is ongoing, David also proceeds to hunt for clues by looking into Margot’s digital history.  In the process, he gets to learn upsetting things about his daughter’s life that he hasn’t been aware of before.  However, no information he uncovers is leading him closer to finding her whereabouts – or so it seems.

It’s quite a terrific mystery thriller.  It has shocking revelations, but it doesn’t cheat.  It gets to them organically and sensibly.  All details necessary to arrive at the answers have been made available for the audience to examine beforehand.  Hence, it’s very much possible for an eagle-eyed member of the audience to arrive at the solutions before John Cho’s character does.

In addition, it’s not only gripping as a thriller, but it also has heart.  The opening couple of minutes, especially, is probably as strikingly poignant as the opening minutes of Up.  Seriously.

I believe its unique narrative execution has greatly contributed to making the film emotionally resonating.  It’s because all of us use computers and smartphones in our daily lives, and are familiar with Internet culture.  So when the plot is unfolding as digital activities that the characters (especially David) are engaging in, it feels more personal.  It somewhat leads the audience to feel for themselves the emotions that the characters are feeling.

At the hands of less proficient direction, the choice of exclusively telling its story through just computer screens could have easily resulted to unevenness.  But director Aneesh Chaganty (who, by the way, is impressively directing for the first time) has the vision and skill to pull it off.  Thus, the innovative storytelling makes the film riveting through and through; its flow, impeccably coherent.

To put it simply, Searching is a masterful film.  It has no evident flaws, has tons of re-watch value, and has the makings of an eventual classic.

Currently, it sits within my top five most favorite films of the year.  And I don’t think it’ll ever fall lower than that by year-end.

Postscript (SPOILER):

A noteworthy source of bonus enjoyment for me in this movie is the secret subplot hidden in the background.  Scattered across David’s Internet browsing sessions are related videos, comments, news stories, and links heavily suggesting that – dun! dun! – there’s an imminent alien invasion!  Man, I understand that this could possibly be just a joke in the part of the filmmakers.  But it would be cool if they make a follow-up movie about this.