60 Second Verdict: Searching
60 Second Verdict: Searching
15 September 2018
John Cho is David, a desperate father trying to find his daughter Margot in the media-driven Searching.
By Ben McEachen
Set entirely within the screens of one guy’s computer and phone, this modern mystery has a desperate dad, David (John Cho), frantically trying to find his missing daughter, Margot (Michelle La). As he tries to track her down using social media, Google and other apps, David realises how much he does not know about his teen daughter.
WHAT’S GOOD
I'm Surprised it’s taken until 2018 for a movie to be completely set within computers and phones. Searching uses this gimmick well and often develops intrigue and novelty out of some very familiar ingredients. While the family drama and police work are nothing new throughout Searching, the incorporation of digital technology is relatable and uncomfortably intimate. I also liked how Searching plays out more as a commentary about family dynamics, rather than rushing to be a graphic or sinister thriller.
WHAT’S NOT
With so many different apps and programs up on screen ALL THE TIME, Searching can feel like an ad. Seriously, you’ve never seen FaceTime plugged so often in one movie. By the same token, the novelty can fade from a movie built out of the screen stuff we use each day – and that leaves viewers with a so-so mystery drowning in some dumb detective work or unconvincing twists. Given the central gimmick, it also struck me as weird to have the lead character be a mid-life dad – rather than a tech-savvy teen (who would be a central figure that this movie’s target audience could more easily identify with).
SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING
On a personal note of self-esteem, Searching didn’t leave me feeling dumb about all the tech tools which I have no idea about. Hooray! Instead, the apps and programs ultimately faded behind the stronger theme of a parent not being as connected with their child as they think they are. My daughters are very young so, thank God, I’m still a fair way from having to negotiate their ‘online/offline’ lives. But Searching politely walloped my fatherly senses, as it sadly depicted a dad realising the bond he thought he had with his daughter was far from the truth. Beyond being invested in how children navigate the digital universe, Searching trumpets the unchangeable beauty and power of prioritising family connection – for real.
Searching is rated M and is currently screening.
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