Searching

2018  PG-13  DRAMA  1h 42min

CAST— John Cho, Debra Messing

MUSIC— Torin Borrowdale  DIRECTOR— Aneesh Chaganty

     Sometimes interesting, often ill-conceived mystery that tech lovers should gravitate towards. Shown exclusively through the lenses of various electronic devices, the story centers on a single father (John Cho) whose beloved daughter, unbeknownst to him, is leading a double life, involving skipping school and using drugs. One day she vanishes and Cho tries to go through legal channels to find his girl. Searches are conducted, clues are gathered, possible motives are bandied about. But still the girl is nowhere to be found. Cho begins to look through his daughter’s laptop in hopes of finding clues, but realizes he never truly knew his daughter in the first place. Suspecting everyone, from family members to online strangers, Cho soon seems to become unhinged, but really, his grief is overwhelming his sense of normalcy. His only ally is a detective, one who may have an agenda all her own. Filmed in a novel way for a thriller this feels almost like a found footage film/semi-documentary as questions upon questions arise. Never hits the heights of suspense that was no doubt intended, but fair entertainment for the duration.

OUR RATING— **