Searching

Since the internet first launched, we’ve had the unique opportunity to directly engage with all ends of the planet, to access information within the click of a button, to document our inner most thoughts and to form friendships (and more) and socialise with people – to literally no limit. “Searching” takes the concept of the limitless digital world, and uniquely sees the unfolding of significant events in one family’s life purely through the eyes of the screen.

Through the family computer, we meet the Kim family. David (John Cho) and Pamela (Sara Sohn) and daughter Margot (Michelle La) live what appears to be a happy and fulfilling life, until Pamela sadly passes following a battle with cancer. With Margot entering her final years in high school, she continues to live with her father, but noticeably becomes more distant as she grows up. One night, following a study group with school friends, Margot fails to return home, and David raises the alarm with the police. Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing) is assigned to the case, and the mystery of what happened to Margot that night kicks into gear, all through the eyes of the digital world.

The “whodunnit” type thriller is nothing new, but director Aneesh Changanty takes the genre to a new level, telling the story exclusively through the online and digital world. Through files saved on the computer, social networking accounts, YouTube videos and FaceTime conversations, the mystery slowly unravels and David is on a race against time to find his daughter using her digital footprint as clues.

“Searching” really addresses the toxicity of the internet, and the impact it can have on all our lives. The more David discovers about his daughter’s virtual world, the more concerned he becomes – in a universe full of strangers and endless social networks – David feels he doesn’t truly know who she is. Meanwhile, David discovers what it’s like to be in Big Brother’s world – his every action being scrutinised, judged and watched.

The real stand out in “Searching” is Messing, who truly excels in her role as a Detective. Dealing with a demanding job, whilst juggling her duties as a mother, Detective Vick also feels the pressure from David in the desperate search for his missing daughter, and goes above and beyond to find the truth. Messing performs each duty flawlessly, with a believable performance that makes you forget that the skeleton cast of the film is very small.

As with most ‘missing persons’ type thrillers, you can expect a lot of twists and turns, but through this unique take on seeing the case unravel through technology, you’ll be second-guessing right until the very end.