Searching movie review

Movie Title:   Searching

Grade:  A-

Rating: PG-13, 101 minutes

In a Nutshell:  This is every parent’s nightmare.  I remember when my two sons were very little and they ran off in different directions in a grocery store.  The panic that set into my heart was indescribable.  I wasn’t one of those parents who put a leash on my children, but I certainly considered it after that terrifying moment.  While this movie isn’t that simple story, it utilizes that same parental fear and combines it with social media to create a very engaging mystery thriller.

While not the first movie to use this technique of online footage (see the movie Unfriended), this one does it extremely well and immediately makes you feel immersed in the characters from the very beginning.  It’s suspenseful and makes a powerful point to both parents and teens.

  Tips for parents: 

• Parents will definitely be able to relate to this movie.
• An older adult and teenager use pot.
• Parents, get to know your kid’s friends.  Learn how to use Facebook and other social media that your child is using.  You need to learn about Tumblr and YouCast.  Talk to your kids about the digital footprint they leave whenever they post anything online, as well as what “catfish” are (people who use fake photos to lure unsuspecting children and teens into their net.)
• Hopefully, you’ll never need to use this web site, but if you have to report a missing person, go to https://www.namus.gov/
• Parents, talk to your kids.  About anything.  About everything.

 Uplifting theme: 

• The lengths parents go to in order to protect their children
• The power of social media in our lives
• Hypocrisy
• Love
• Family
• Death

Things I liked:

• It feels real and relevant.
• The beginning sequence is really clever.  You quickly fall in love with the characters and your heart breaks.
• John Cho is fantastic.
• It was refreshing to see Debra Messing in a non-comedic, dramatic role with an understated character, although her lower voice seemed a bit forced.  I’ve been a fan of hers since the early days of Will & Grace – Season One   I really liked her in Smash: Season 1 (DVD + UltraViolet) and was sad when that fun TV show got canceled.
• The pacing was very good and I was glued to the screen with anticipation the entire time.
• I liked the M.Night Shyamalan reference.  The director was personally inspired by him.  I’m a huge fan of his work too.
• The director bought the rights to use logos and names of Google, Facebook, Ebay, and a bunch of other sites in order to use them in the movie and make everything feel real.
• I got a kick out of all the deleted messages.  I think all of us have deleted a text we started writing.
• It was fun to watch the life of the family and the evolution of their daughter.
• PC users might even learn how to use a Mac.  Ha ha
• I love a good twist or two.
• I grew up in San Jose, California, so it was kind of fun to see pretend Bay Area footage.
• It only took 13 days to shoot!  It took 2 years to actually make, however, due to all of the computer editing and animating.  If you look closely to some of the screen searches, you’ll see the name John Watson from Sherlock Holmes, Laura Barns from the movie Unfriended M. Night Shyamalan, the director’s name, the producer’s name, and comedienne Margaret Cho.
• This was the first feature film Michelle La has ever done.  She did a good job.  It’s also the first film by director Aneesh Chaganty.

Things I didn’t like:

• There is a lot of text you have to read, so this may be hard to watch on a small computer or TV screen once it goes to live stream and DVD.  You absolutely HAVE to pay attention to the screen and what is being typed on to the computer.  This isn’t a movie you can let roll in the background while you do something else.

Interesting lines:

• “The point is you don’t always know your kid.” –  Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing)

@trinaboice