Searching proves that a thriller doesn’t always have to choose between cheap thrills and a story. It can have both and deliver both in spades. This ranks among some of the best suspense thrillers I’ve seen.
It grips your attention from beginning to end with a story that could’ve been contrived and cliched, but it chooses to introduce ingenious plot twists that hold water instead of being dead in the water and it registers long after it’s over.
John Cho from the American Pie movies stars as David Kim, a widower living in San Jose with his daughter, Margot (Michelle La). She goes missing and after David’s repeated attempts to contact her go south, he begins frantically searching for her using every form of social media.
Debra Messing from Will & Grace costars as a detective leading the search. David’s methods of interrogation become more and more aggressive as the case escalates and she decides that he’s too emotionally damaged to assist.
While going through social media, David contacts every friend and acquaintance Margot has and they give him conflicting accounts on their relationship with his daughter. Some say they don’t know her or even hang out with her, but their Facebooks amd Instagrams tell a different story. Is David lying? Are they lying? Is it all in his head?
The rest of the plot I can’t go into without delving into spoiler territory, so the less said, the better. You’ll thank me after. The movie incorporates an incredible visual technique by placing every frame of the action online. It’s a visual perspective that doesn’t overuse the technique, but helps it advance the story.
Roger Ebert said one time that a movie should interact on us. Well, in the case of Searching, that statement rings true both literally and figuratively. There are some plot twists in this movie that even Hitchcock would applaud.
Grade: A
(Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some drug and sexual references, and for language.)
