Directed by:
Aneesh ChagantyComposer:
Torin BorrowdaleCast:
John Cho, Debra Messing, Thomas Barbusca, Michelle La, Sean O'Bryan, Ric Sarabia, Colin Woodell, Ashley Edner, Roy Abramsohn, Morgan Peter Brown, Ben Cain (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
After David Kim's (John Cho) 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. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (9)
This is an interesting concept that I have not seen before. I get that it is not groundbreaking, but so far I have not had the honor of seeing it, so the idea itself impressed me more than it probably deserves. I was discouraged by the annoyingly melodramatic music, which seemed to come from East Asian films, where sweet sentiment is often mixed with brutal aestheticized violence. However, I was much more bothered by the incompleteness of the screenplay, which relies too much on form and does not address inconsistencies and incredible errors (would the police really work like this?). Even the literalness and typically studio ending didn't excite me. It does not help that the film loses its filmmaker's touch primarily in the second half instead of making the impressive climax helps us forget the weaker moments at the beginning. Despite all the previous complaining, however, Searching earns a decent three stars. Overall impression: 60%.
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Great, intense, catchy, original. Exactly the type of thriller that you watch and get sucked into the plot by a simple but well-thought-out theme which shows the big potential power of Internet and social media. The father has broken into his daughter’s computer surprisingly easily, but it was acceptable as part of the story. At a time when European cinematography doesn’t finish itsstories and leaves the ending up to the spectator, the literal nature of this story is a nice surprise. The Americans simply like it and I also didn’t mind it. A great work that easily makes waves among mediocre thrillers and adds a lot of originality.
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Everything around us needs to keep up with the times, and this certainly applies to cinema as well. Searching is not just an ordinary detective story; it presents a truly unconventional viewing experience through a computer screen. Initially, it felt like a failed Canadian prank, but it has its own charm. It makes one realize how interconnected today’s world is through the internet and social networks, along with the associated potential threats. I must commend the lead actor's performance; throughout the film, the viewer only sees his face, so it’s immediately clear whether he’s overacting or not. However, John Cho’s brilliant performance quickly dispelled that concern. Despite the fact that the audience only views computer screens, the story offers a series of luxurious twists that had me on the edge of my seat, one after another (especially the first twist was a real knockout, wow…). I would have fine-tuned the ending a bit differently, but that doesn’t take away from the undeniable qualities of this intriguing film. I give it 83%.
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I'll watch Searching quietly and happily a few more times. And for several reasons. The first is the original portrayal, which surprisingly also carries with it a lot of emotion. You only see the computer screen, you only hear the sounds coming from the person looking into the computer, and yet you can understand exactly how to feel. On the one hand, it's eerily true to our times, but on the other hand, it's brilliant. The way the filmmakers came up with the finale thrilled me a little less, hence the star down. But I still think it's one of the most important films of last year.
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John Cho finds out that his daughter is missing and now he tries to find her with the help of the police. A rather ordinary plot? Maybe, but The Search is definitely not an ordinary movie. The fact that it's shot entirely on cell phone or computer cameras, and we see what's happening on a laptop screen instead of a traditional manhunt, makes it something a little different. And it works surprisingly well in the thriller genre. The Search is an interesting, but above all suspenseful and cleverly conceived film that you definitely shouldn't miss.
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