Searching (2018) Review

"I didn't know my daughter."
-David Kim



Still recovering from the death of his wife two years earlier, David Kim (John Cho) has some trouble connecting with his 16-year old daughter, Margot Kim (Michelle La).  After Margot doesn't come home from a study session and won't answer her phone, David realizes his daughter is missing and gets the police involved.  Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing) has David look into Margot's friends and social life through her computer, but as time runs out, David comes to the realization that he doesn't know his daughter as well as he thought.


What Works:

Like the movie Unfriended, Searching utilizes its premise well.  We watch the entire film through various computer screens and it works the majority of the time.  The director, Aneesh Chaganty, does a great job of telling us the story through this medium and it's fun to see David using various programs.  He even boots up Windows XP, which triggered some flashbacks for me and the rest of the audience.

John Cho gives a fantastic performance as a grieving father.  His character had to watch his wife die a slow death from cancer and now his daughter is missing.  David goes through hell over the course of the film and Cho nails it in every scene.

The opening sequence chronicles the life of the Kim family before and during Pam Kim's (Sara Sohn) battle with cancer and eventual death.  It reminds me a lot of the opening sequence from Up.  It's really quick, yet effective storytelling that is extremely sad to watch unfold and a great way to set up the head space of our protagonist.

Finally, the tension of this movie is palpable.  As the story twists and turns it takes you further and further out onto the edge of your seat.  I had no idea where the film was taking me and how everything was going to play out, but I loved the ride.


What Sucks:

I have just nitpicks with Searching, nothing major.  When all is said it done, bits here and there feel a little convenient the more you scrutinize it and there are moments where the found-footage-esque format hurts the film.  Some scenes would have been more impactful had they been shown to us in a standard movie format, but again, no major problems.


Verdict:

Minor nitpicks aside, Searching is a thrilling film that does a great job with it's premise.  John Cho gives an excellent performance, the opening sequence is fantastic, and the rest of the movie keeps your eyes glued to the screen wondering what is going to happen next.  Searching has definitely got it going on.

 9/10: Great   

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