Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: John Cho, Debra Messing, Sara Sohn, Michelle La, Joseph Lee, Dominic Hoffman, Sylvia Minassian, Melissa Disney, Connor McRaith, Colin Woodell, Brianna McLean, Derek Ellis, Ric Sarabia, Joseph John Schirle, Reed Buck.
Innovation is to be praised, the guts to try something new for an audience whilst retaining the classic elements of what makes the genre a success in the first place; to find a way to tell a story which diverts from the expected is a pleasure and one that you can spend a life time Searching for.
It us in innovation that perhaps we find ourselves more and more in the realms of the computer and the internet, that without this once thought magical beast, it is almost impossible to do the jobs or share the experiences with others. However, there is always that demonic sprite that comes out of the bottle, riding on the coat tails of the genie; for all the good the internet can bring, for all the possibilities that are endless with the power at the touch of the finger and imagination, there is still darkness to be found lurking, that people will use such tools for mischief or for evil.
Aneesh Changanty’s Searching is a film of possibilities, one that explores the way in which the internet can aid us in the most extreme of family issues, and one that lurks in the background, the insidiousness of human nature. Whilst any cinema goer will always think of such films as The Terminator as a reason to not fully trust or embrace the way in which machines can help us get more out of life, there is something to be said in which Aneesh Changanty reveals the way how the internet has become invaluable in solving mysteries, or perhaps shedding light on those we thought we knew.
The family dynamic has changed beyond all recognition in the last 20 years and children perhaps don’t tell their parents as much as previous generations did, but now at least there is a way to communicate in which there wasn’t before.
It is though in the flip side of this innovative film which catches the eye, the evil in the background, the messages of hate which filter quickly on screen as John Cho’s character, David Kim, is looking for the clues to help find his daughter. The small messages of condemnation, of accusations, it is this perhaps which provides the narrative with greater impact and one in which really draws on John Cho’s magnificent screen presence as he suffers from guilt and worry in equal measure.
A film of immensity, of innovation and imagination, Searching is a film which collides with the modern-day appeal and thought.
Ian D. Hall