Review of Searching (2018) by Daniel V — 15 Sep 2018

A Homo pad's Look at Life Around.

The Homo sapien as a biological species has a strong ability to discover and accumulate knowledge (writing books, creating songs, study). His counterpart is the Homo pad who has the ability to distribute and retrieve information. Homo pads look at life through the interface of modern software devices (ipads and iphones, chats, social media, streaming and broadcasting video system). In this movie, "Searching", the concept of how one looks at reality through the computerized world is examined. It is obviously a great achievement in directing (Aneesh Chaganty) and photography (Juan Sebastian Baron& Will Merrick).

The way of storytelling in this movie features surfing from screen to screen, browser to browser, window to window, tab to tab. This is a fresh and new trend for the big movie (see Profile, 2018; Hardcore Henry, 2015; Black Mirror, 2011-,). This technique allows us to look at situations through the eyes of characters, to be online with characters, to be a part of the character's user activity. This screening modestly simulates immersive theater with its absence of any barriers between actors and audience. "Searching" lets movie viewers join that quest to discover the mystery of the disappearing daughter of David Kim (John Cho). For the touch-screen generation, whose lives interact with smartphones and touchpads, this movie provides an easy way of perceiving and reading the procedural narrative for rescuing a lost person. Additionally, this movie presents some life hack about how to act in complicated situations. For example, jus do your own research anytime: classify and eliminate information on irrelevant issues; try to involve more people for troubleshooting; trust people and information, but don't forget about reviewing and double-checking.

Although the tech features of the movie are its most original aspect of the picture, viewers can discover one strong social message. It is about the parents responsibility. The movie raises the issues of the role of parents in the maze of their children's social media and IT. There are two clear patterns of parenthood: David with daughter Margot, and Rosemary (Debra Messing) with her son. They have absolutely different styles of parenthood and it is difficult to say which is the best example of parenthood. David is a typical perfectionist with an engineering education, who has a well organized PC desktop and files in folders. Rosemary is a detective, who swings from one project to another, usually with an untidy hairstyle. If their children didn't have problems, the parents wouldn't engage in discovering the children's social network. Technology has been extremely helpful and useful for David's and Rosemary's families in their search for David's daughter (Michelle La).

As can be seen, the delivery of the Searching story via Homo pads look, provides the movie making process with this new concept. It pulls viewer into the heart of the movie. Emotionally it enhances feelings and totally engages in the movie narrative. This form of observing the story enhances the emotional reaction of the viewer. Probably, without touch-screen special effects the storytelling of the movie would be boring. Regardless this, tech fans will applaud for IT framework, and regular moviegoers also will enjoy this story.