What would you do if the person you felt closest to turns out to be someone you absolutely don’t know at all?
This is the dilemma for David Kim (John Cho) when his 16-year old daughter, Margot (Michelle La), goes missing.
Having always been close, the Kims have been through everything together, even during the death of wife, Pam, which is why it came as an unexpected blow to David when he slowly realizes, during his search, that his daughter may not exactly be who he thought she was.
A pure family drama at its core, director Aneesh Chaganty attempted to break not-so-new ground with “Searching.”
By combining the found-footage genre with smart writing (thanks to co-writer Sev Ohanian) and injecting new inventive approaches, “Searching” turns out to be one of those movies that will sear your memory because it’s not like the most movies you’ve seen.
While it’s not exactly ground-breaking or earth-shattering, it definitely stands out. Told entirely in a series of computer tabs, “Searching” presents an entirely new way of storytelling, and very apt for today’s tech-dependent era.
One of the movie’s strengths is its opening sequence, which I think is clever storytelling. It told the family’s history by showing their computer activities. By doing that, the director was also able to provide us with a quick walk down the internet memory lane. It’s ingenious, actually.
Chaganty’s unique storytelling also gave us viewers something we rarely get from movies: a sense of being in the scene.
A lot of times, we were allowed inside the David’s perspective as he deciphers his daughter’s whereabouts by going through her laptop. It’s perfect for a suspense because we’re so used to screaming at the screen and now we’re given a whole new experience. It’s immersive. It’s like you’re the one trying to follow the online equivalent of Hansel and Gretel’s bread crumbs.
As David goes through the contents of his daughter’s laptop, as viewers, we start to realize how the internet has completely engulfed us. It raises the question “have we gone overboard and completely surrendered ourselves to technology?” Most importantly, “is it a bad thing?”
“Searching” managed to present a balanced view to these issues without diluting the story’s impact. On one hand, you’ll be exposed to the ugly side of the world wide web but on the other hand, you’ll realize that, with proper use and enough common sense, technology can be a powerful life-saving tool.
But the most important questions are not related to technology. They are about family. And the lengths one is willing to go to save a loved one.
“Searching” may be a modern hyper-thriller but it doesn’t distract audiences from the important stuff. It accurately portrays the dynamics between families and how things aren’t always what they seem; that there’s always another layer to the truth presented to you.
Cho’s character discovers that in the most unpleasant ways. But through sheer determination, cunning, and love for his daughter, he’s managed to shed light on the mystery at hand.
Cho has come a long way. Being in front of the camera, up close, has helped affirm his acting chops. We see everything from the subtlest flick of the brow to the sudden changes in the expression on his eyes. That’s an acting feat. Debra Messing who plays Detective Rosemary Vick, is just as good. There’s a point in the film where you’d wonder why she looks the way she looks and might even make you think of her character Grace (Will and Grace) and stifle a laugh, but that would be explained down the road.
Ultimately, “Searching” is about relationships: relationship with our family and our relationship with technology and how both can be so intertwined yet so detached from one another.
Photo credit: Columbia Pictures
