Welcome one and all to the 6th part of my feature, The 52 In 52. The concept is simple I have a sizeable collection of DVDs and Blu Rays that I have purchased and then left on the shelf. Each week this year I will pick one to watch and review. Last week's entry was Shogun Assassin go and check it out before you read this weeks entry.
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This week I'm cheating a little bit and talking about a new release but, I had to talk about how great Searching is. Searching was released in August 2018 and is the directorial debut of Aneesh Chaganty and was produced by Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Daywatch, Nightwatch) and Natalie Quasabian the film was recently released on DVD and streaming. Searching stars John Cho as devoted father David Kim as he struggles to hold his family unit together after the death of his wife. Davids daughter Margot goes missing under mysterious circumstances and the search is on. The story is all told in the from the point of view of the laptop webcam and phone cameras. What happens next is a twisting story that will keep you guessing right up until the end.
I had been intrigued by Searching after seeing a trailer a little while ago and I must say I wasn't disappointed. I loved the original Unfriended film and there is an obvious comparison that can be made between Unfriended and Searching. Firstly they have the same producer in Bekmambetov, secondly they are shot in a similar way but, that is where the comparison ends. Searching unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing and just when you think you know the answer there is another detail that changes your mind. There were a couple of plot points that I guessed but, I think in the age of information and the use of internet searches throughout the film they could easily be guessed by most.
I really enjoyed the way in which the opening segment shows the development of the young family from the point of view of their first computer and little snapshots into their lives that led them to the point in their story where the film begins. This was done in a way that wrenches at your heart and really establishes an emotional attachment to the characters involved in the film.
I loved the small cast involved in the film, this allowed for a claustrophobic, fast paced story. John Cho really commands the screen as the frustrated and desperate father role. Debra Messing is intense and cold as the lead detective in the case, Detective Vick.
There is a point in the second act when there is news coverage incorporated into the film and this allows the outside opinions to influence the way in which the audience sees David and the whole situation of Margot's disappearance, this then leads to the use of social media and the sometimes toxic opinions of it's users to further the audiences opinions on David, almost making him the villain towards the end of the film.
Overall Searching is a highly creative take on the crime thriller genre. I really felt that the reactions of John Cho's David at his daughters disappearance were accurate and distressing at times. The story, whilst a little predictable at times did provide some interesting twist and turns that lead to a highly entertaining and unpredictable finale.
Thanks for reading and look out for the next entry next Thursday.
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