In 2017, my favorite movie was Columbus, which I saw repeatedly in the theaters, and even though John Cho was not the main reason that I loved the movie, he majorly contributed. Columbus resulted in several epiphanies-some shallow and some deeper life lessons. The shallow one was that I think Cho is hot. Cho was the only reason that I saw Searching, but I did realize that it was similar to Unfriended and found footage films, which I also enjoy, while not exactly fitting in that genre. This genre is closer to screencasting, a digital recording of a computer screen output which contains video screen captures and audio.
Searching is the directorial debut for Aneesh Chaganty and stars John Cho as David Kim, the father of Margot, a sixteen-year old girl who goes missing fairly early in the film. The movie chronicles David’s desperate search for his daughter as he realizes that he does not know his daughter as well as he thinks because he is understandably struggling with his own personal pain. The entire movie unfolds on various computer screens. It is an empathetic drama thriller because as a viewer, you identify with David through the pacing of his keystrokes, scrolling and toggling between different apps. It provides the viewer with a more effective intimate view of his thoughts and mental state than hearing an inner monologue or narration because it shows rather than tells. Other than the effectiveness of the actor to project emotion onto his or her face, film has finally found a way to inform the viewer of a main character’s inner life in a way that rivals fictional books.
I don’t usually see this kind of film in theaters with an audience so it was a special treat to gauge my reaction to everyone else: breathless and riveted. Even though Searching sounds gimmicky, and as if it is trying to exploit the found footage market, it is actually a heartwarming, every man version of Taken that has a broad appeal to anyone who is familiar with technology: computers, apps, smart phones. If you aren’t familiar with technology, or you don’t read English, you should probably skip this movie because the trajectory of the narrative largely depends on understanding how these devices and apps work. There are no explanations, just actions. If you don’t get it, I think that you will be lost for the majority of the film.
Chaganty and Cho make a great team. Searching is an extremely economical film in terms of time, resources and production, but I was invested in the characters instantly thanks to a simple storyline made complex by the functionality and limits of the Internet. At one point, David is looking through Margot’s friends online, and we completely understand what kind of people they are based on terse responses and profile pics. Cho is the focal point that has to keep everything together, and even though the credited cast is tiny, it is actually quite large if you think of all the people that he interacts with during his investigation.
Chaganty also rewards eagle-eyed viewers by leaving enough hints that you can figure out who the culprit is, but not making it so obvious that you lose interest in Searching before the end of the film. The only negative is that the timeline is crucial to the narrative, particularly the denouement, but I did lose a sense of how much time had passed after awhile. I didn’t see as many date stamp markers though there were plenty of time markers. Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s Maybelline.
Searching has a few Easter eggs that tickled me. Cho’s disapproval of pot is hilarious considering his most famous early starring role as Harold Lee. There is a shout out to M. Night Shyamalan, whom I’m assuming influenced Chaganty (but not in a bad way). There is an online handle that signals the plot twist, which I guessed, but would not have bet money on. There is only one interaction that I think gives too much away in terms of hinting at the plot twist, but I watch too many movies so while that breathless, intentionally vague and simultaneously very specific confrontation seemed obvious, it may not have been.
Even if the hints are obvious, Searching still took me on an emotional roller coaster ride that gave me all the feels at each twist and turn, especially in the spectacular introduction of the family. I just saw The Bookshop, which is a longer movie that never conveys credible human emotions whereas this film knocked it out of the park. It is so relatable and honest in the way that Chaganty uses prosaic details to signal the passage of major life events and the impact that those events have on the characters that it makes the audience invested without feeling emotionally manipulated even though we totally are. It works and carries a broad universal appeal.
I’m not sure if Searching will work as well on the small screen as it does in theaters. The inability to multitask, pause and take breaks definitely helps as a viewer to get caught up in the story, but I think that distractions will detract from the viewing experience and may lose a majority of the film’s impact and momentum. If you’re multitasking and on your computer or phone, you may notice flaws in the cinematic depiction whereas there is no time for scrutiny in the theater.
Searching works for a young audience and parents of teenagers so it could work as a family friendly popcorn movie night. I saw all types of people in the audience, which proves what I always knew: a Korean actor in a starring role can attract everyone to the theater. There were black, white and East Asian viewers in the theater, and it was packed. Cho needs to star in more films. He is talented, attractive and experienced in all genres. There is no downside to casting him as the lead in more films.
If you are looking for an entertaining, popcorn feature for you and your family, and you understand technology, Searching is a solid bet. It even has a few unexpected heartwarming lessons that may make you leave as a better person.