Have you ever had your life turned upside down in an instant, only to realize that you haven’t reached the worst part yet? The premise of the new mystery thriller, Searching, is going to put its best foot forward to make audiences feel exactly what I’ve described. John Cho has become quite the well-rounded actor in his 20+ year career in acting. This time around he takes center stage in a movie that will only be thrive if he can keep the audiences’ interest alive.
David (John Cho) and Pamela (Sara Sohn) are living the dream life with their young daughter, Margot. Searching chronicles the life of this family, including highs and lows for close to a decade. Time is not promised so living for today and making the best of what you have seems to be their way of life. David is eventually widowed after his wife succumbs to a terminal illness. The family believes that this is going to be their hardest challenge, yet there’s something more dire approaching in their future. Now 16, Margot (Michelle La) is living life as teens do, making mistakes and learning from them. Unfortunately for the Kims, the hardest life lesson has yet to come.
David (John Cho) discovers that his daughter has basically vanished and has no idea where she could have gone. Still reeling from losing a wife that he assumed he’d have many years with, David now must accept the fact that dark clouds have not yet dissipated from this family’s life. David digs into Margot’s life and learns that he doesn’t really know everything that his daughter is involved in, and with that, the mystery deepens. Pleading to anyone listening, David, along with a local detective (Debra Messing), will follow every rumor, every clue if it’ll leads him to the whereabouts of his most precious daughter. Filled with twists and turns, this one will leave you Searching for your breath.
Searching is the low-key summer sleeper hit that you didn’t know you needed. Calculated marketing and a brilliant story will hook viewers’ attention and won’t let go until the very end. Director Aneesh Chaganty makes a great first impression in his feature film directorial debut. Dealing with an already saturated sub-genre of voyeuristic techno horror films like Unfriended: Dark Web (2018), Friend Request (2016) and The Den (2013) to name a few over the last handful of years, it’s not hard to see why these frugal films don’t have the box office impact that their respective studios were necessarily hoping for. Sony Pictures is hoping for more of a sustained splash by bringing true quality and intrigue with their product.
Watching John Cho frantically following every lead to locate his missing daughter is the type of offering that will resonate with most people. We’re not dealing with a supernatural threat or a deranged cult here. Searching lurks in the plausible relatable world of every parent’s worst nightmare and it will exploit your insecurities to a feverish level. Emotionally, this thriller is completely draining and yet, somehow it’s enjoyable at the same time. This is the smartest money you’ll spend this week. Now playing in theaters everywhere.
