Searching Review

Searching is about a man named David Kim, (John Cho) whose daughter has gone missing. As he tries to find her, he begins to realize that he didn’t really know her, and the people closest to him. This film is one of the most intense movies I’ve seen. But here’s the thing: the story is told to us only through computer screens. This should not work for a hour and forty minute long movie, but director Aneesh Chaganty expertly uses FaceTime calls, YouTube videos, news casts, various social media sites, and John Cho’s amazing performance to hypnotize the viewer in a mystery that is as intense as it is unpredictable. The movie does a great job of giving us information without treating us like idiots. Instead of saying that a character has been gone for two years, a virus detection program notifies David that the profile has not activated the program in 670 days. You piece the mystery together which our main character, which gives this film a unique and engaging feel to it. The movie makes you think you figured it out, only to flip your solution on its head. You can see this movie as the intricate masterclass of filmmaking that it is, or a fun and engaging mystery. Either way it is a must see, and my favorite movie of the year thus far, and one of the few movies I’ve seen that I can call perfect.