Searching

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. (04/03/2019)

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. (02/15/2019)

I had a healthy dose of skepticism before watching this, as I don't consider these kind of film formats full-fledged and instead feel like they themselves are actually confining and limiting. However, Searching is a very bright exception. First of all, it boasts a very decent screenplay, which at some points strips the whole story of any predictability and serves up a decent dose of suspense through the "mere" computer screen. Sure, it would most likely work as a standard genre film (if it had been shot in a conventional way), but then the overall resonance would remain hidden somewhere in the background. In fact, the message of the whole film is directly tied to its form, which you won't fully appreciate until the end, and maybe a few hours/days after watching it, when you'll think about it all a bit more deeply. An urgent indictment of the Internet, and the digital age in general, or just a detective story cunningly put into an unconventional form? Quite possibly a little of each, but either way a very intelligent and impressive affair that fans of a good thriller should definitely not miss. (02/14/2019)

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%. (01/25/2019)

The idea may not be so original anymore, but it is still used to the max; the film has real momentum and the viewers feel that they are searching along with the main character. I was expecting an unexpected twist, although I had no idea what it would be, but I'm glad for the ending because I probably wouldn't have wanted to see it end any other way. The only thing that disturbed me a bit was the music: although it was good, it brought down the feeling of authenticity. (05/21/2020)