The innovation in storytelling in Searching is that the entire film is told on screens. I was a little misled; the execution of the episode of Modern Family in which the episode is told entirely on a single computer screen is the high standard. Searching is not just on computers, it is also on TV news, security cameras, CCTV, etc. I was a little bothered by the reliance on news stories to tell the story. I understand that it is a commentary on how modern personal tragedy can easily blow up on the internet and all over the news. But the external attention also detracts from the personal nature of the conflict between father and daughter that most interestingly drives much of the drama. Similarly, I feel like the gimmick of the screens sort of detracts from what is an excellent thriller. Oftentimes, we're watching John Cho talk on the phone through the webcam on his computer. There's no particular reason for this. Many of the shots look forced because of this "screen requirement." John Cho is great, as always. And let's just take a quick moment to acknowledge the Asian American cast with standard American accents acting in non-specifically-Asian roles. That is a quiet revolution right there, though it took an Asian director to do so. More of that!
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