Searching Movie Review

Searching (2018)

Rent Searching on Amazon Video
Written by: Aneesh Chaganty, Sev Ohanian
Directed by: Aneesh Chaganty
Starring: John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer

Plot
After his 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a desperate father breaks into her laptop to look for clues to find her.

Verdict
This movie may be a gimmick, but it's a very engrossing gimmick. The movie primarily unfolds on a laptop screen as a father searches for his daughter through social media, her contacts, and images. The camera isn't static, it zooms in and pans across the laptop screen. Editing is a game of inches, but editing could also have ruined this. Instead it aids the story.
So much information can be gleaned from the internet alone, and that's scary. This story has plenty of twists and turns. While this would probably feel too familiar in a traditional format, it completely pulls you in with the format of being presented through a computer screen.
Watch it.

Review
I'm always up for a gimmick movie, whether it's the first person shooter Hardcore Henry (read my review) or the single two hour shot Victoria (read my review). The gimmick in this movie is that the whole thing unfolds on a laptop screen. There are a couple of scenes that are seen through a video camera, but surprisingly the format doesn't hamper the movie. It provides a unique angle for what boils down to a mystery movie.

It's also a stark reminder of how much information we keep on a computer and how easy internet detective work can be. David is looking for his daughter, but this could easily be somebody using the internet to stalk someone. Our lives have become ingrained with computers as the introduction shows. This starts by showing the history of the family through the computer, from first setup, to the child being old enough for a login to family photos, videos, and wallpapers.

I appreciate that this is edited so that it isn't a static shot. Various windows and the camera zooming in on details makes this dynamic, within the confines. The mystery starts when David can't reach his daughter Margot. This starts his descent from worry to full blown panic. David analyzes his daughter's contacts, social media profiles, and pictures discovering important clues while realizing there was a lot he didn't know about his daughter.

The movie has a really good pace as we unravel the mystery. We get webcam type shots of David, and also see what's on his mind as he types into chat windows only to delete it and type something else. This even taps into internet outrage. When the case goes public David is ravaged online, blamed as a bad parent for his daughter running away, though he contests she wouldn't do that.

This gives us just enough clues to assume certain characters are guilty which seems completely in line with online bullying. It has a few twists and turns, though the biggest turn hinges on an incredible coincidence.

This easily could have been a train wreck. While the cinematography is lacking, and this won't ever feel like a typical movie, it's entertaining start to finish. It's really well written for what this is. This story is just alright, but how it unfolds in this format makes it so much more. The ending even takes this up a notch.