Searching (2018)
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A father uses digital footprints to track down his missing daughter in a film told almost entirely through screens.
The story
Set almost entirely on computer screens and smartphones, the film follows a father (John Cho) trying to find his missing 16-year-old daughter (Michelle La) with the help of a police detective (Debra Messing). After his daughter, Margot, fails to show up for a planned engagement, David Kim begins a desperate search through her social media accounts, digital footprints, and online interactions. As he navigates the complexities of her online life, he must piece together clues from her digital presence to uncover her whereabouts and determine her safety in a high-stakes race against time.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
David Kim lives in San Jose with his daughter, Margot, following the death of his wife, Pamela. When Margot goes missing, David teams up with Detective Rosemary Vick to track her. Their investigation leads them through Margot's digital life: a deleted Venmo account, a fake ID, and a connection to a girl named Hannah on the site YouCast. While the police believe Margot fled the city, David uncovers a web of lies, including a fabricated identity for a local man, Randy Cartoff, who was framed for her disappearance. The truth is revealed when David discovers that the 'Hannah' persona was actually a local boy, Robert, who had a crush on Margot. During a confrontation at Barbosa Lake, Robert accidentally pushed Margot into a ravine. Detective Vick, who was not actually assigned to the case but volunteered, covered up the accident to protect her son, Robert. In the final act, David confronts Vick at a funeral, leading to her arrest. He eventually finds Margot alive but injured in the ravine. Two years later, Margot prepares for college, and the two share a closer bond.
- Original title
- Search
- First release year
- 2018
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- United States; Russia
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Aneesh Chaganty
- Writers
- Aneesh Chaganty · writer; Sev Ohanian · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Cho · David Kim; Debra Messing · Rosemary Vick; Michelle La · Margot
- Genres
- mystery; thriller
- Themes
- parenting; digital privacy; grief
- Tone and mood
- suspenseful; high-voltage; white-knuckle
- Premise and plot tags
- screenlife; missing person; mystery
- Source material / true-story basis
- 8-minute short film
- Franchise connections
- titular film series
- Reception
- The film was a financial and critical success, receiving generally favorable reviews for its unique screenlife approach and strong performances.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 34; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 78%
- Awards and nominations
- Alfred P. Sloan Prize · Sundance Film Festival · 2018 · win; NEXT Audience Award · Sundance Film Festival · 2018 · win; Sundance Institute / Amazon Studios Narrative Producer Award · Producer Sev Ohanian · 2018 · win; Independent Spirit Award · Best Male Lead · 2019 · nomination; Saturn Award · Best Thriller Film · 2019 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally conceived as an 8-minute short.; The character Rosemary Vick was named after Rosemary's Baby and Vic Mackey.; The production used various devices including a GoPro, drone, and the director's iPhone.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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