David Kim (John Cho) has an incredible life that he shares with his daughter, Margot (played by a series of actors, including Michelle La), and his wife Pamela (Sara Sohn). Like sometimes happens, life hits David in the face when his wife is diagnosed with cancer, which ultimately takes her from him and his daughter begins to grow up and apart from him. One day David wakes up to find that Margot is missing. He, with the help of the local police, must use her laptop to determine what she has been up to and where she is now. As he is Searching for Margot he will discover some things that seem out of place and unexpected. It is a race against the clock; will David find his daughter before it’s too late?
Getting the right angle while filming is just as important as dialogue, story, acting, etc. It can tear a film apart at the seams if crews are not careful, and it can make it difficult for viewers to follow the story. Writer-director Aneesh Chaganty and the three directors of photography Juan Sebastian Baron, Nick Johnson and Will Merrick (both of whom are virtual directors of photography, made a decision to change things up. Nearly the entire film takes place on a computer or cell phone screen, making this very much a product of the twenty-first century. Choosing to film almost entirely using personal electronic devices is a risky choice; it does not provide the crew the same abilities as using a standard camera. Yet, this camera crew, which has more than fifty films under its belt (combined), finds ways to manipulate laptops (and desktops) and personal electronics in order to get the shot they need. In many ways using cameras in the fashion that they did invites audiences into the house of David Kim and makes them feel like they are part of Margot’s investigation. Searching finds ways to, maybe better than ever, make audiences feel like they are part of the film and part of the events taking place.
The world is in an age that is driven by electronics. People--young and old--are guided by electronic devices: phones, tablets, laptops, etc.; electronics, in many ways, own the people who purchase them. I am sure you have seen photographs of people at major events (parades, sporting events, etc.) who, rather than watching the event with their own eyes, have their phones out, taking pictures and videos. Electronics excite people, and people often would rather focus on these electronic devices than interact with those around them. So, when audiences see that the film opens on a computer screen, excitement is sure to arise in those viewers. Chaganty and co-writer Sev Ohanian know how to interest their audience and they do so wonderfully from the very first second. While engaging audiences, Ohanian and Chaganty are able to explain, in the simplest of terms, that the age of the internet is both wonderful and damning. They are able to express how invasive the internet can be and how accessible it can make a person’s life. At the same time, they let audiences know that the internet (and technology in general) has a way of bringing people together in the most beautiful of ways, helping to harness the best and the worst memories.
Mystery/thrillers have, in some ways, become predictable over the course of the past twenty (or so) years. There are so many films to watch, and for those who have seen dozens (or more), it becomes second nature to dissect what is being watched and attempt to figure out what happens next. Searching is done in such a way, with so many red herrings, that audiences struggle to figure out what is next and are left at the mercy of Ohanian and Chaganty’s genius. There is no obvious answer to what is taking place in Searching, there are only a series of guesses and “ah-ha” moments throughout the film that keep audiences engaged and wanting more. An unprecedented number of twists and turns create a sense of unease and unknowing throughout the film, and audiences are taken on this journey.
The journey would be useless if not for John Cho. Cho is known for ridiculous films like Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and the American Pie series. He has worked on other, more serious, films, however, these are often the films that come to mind if Cho ever makes his way into a discussion. Cho, however, is an incredibly talented, multidimensional actor. The passion and emotion present in this film makes everything come together. The writing is near perfect, but it falls short if Cho is not there to deliver the content. In the best of moments Cho appears to be giddy and in the most difficult, riddled with pain. He exemplifies what needs to be done to reach an audience on an emotional level, and, with the help of the camera crew, audiences can feel David Kim’s pain.
In preparing to watch Searching I was under the impression, for whatever reason, that the film was somewhat low budget (what gave me that impression I have no idea). However, upon doing some research, I found that less than $900,000 was spent in order to create Searching. With such a small budget it seems improbable that Screen Gems and the rest of the production companies working on the film would have everything they needed in order to develop a well-organized, well-executed product. This could not be further from the truth. With as little as they had they did what can only be described as magic. They stretched each penny and found ways around a large budget. The final product is wonderfully entertaining, endlessly engaging and full of passion from both Cho and his co-stars La and Debra Messing (Detective Vick). The ensemble brings the heartbreak of Searching to life and left audiences enthralled by everything that happens.
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