I Watched "Searching" — A Movie That Takes Place 100% On A Computer Screen — And It Made Me Feel Like A Detective

I've never felt more like an armchair detective...and I loved it.

🚨 Warning: Spoilers ahead! 🚨

So, there's this new movie called Searching and the hook is that the whole thing takes place on a computer screen.

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The movie stars John Cho — which, fun fact, makes him the first Asian American actor to lead a contemporary thriller — and it is QUITE the ride!

The movie starts out like an extended version of that cool Google commercial from a few years ago. There’s an adorable family, the Kims, and we see their lives play out through their computer circa the mid '00s — like, you see the OG version of YouTube, etc.

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It’s all very nostalgic — look at that interface! — and sweet until things go south quickly. I won't tell you exactly what happens, but let's just say you should have a box of tissues handy.

We jump forward a few years and it's at this point that our hero family has switched from PCs to Macs — which is not a plot point, I just think it's funny and also a really great detail from the filmmakers.

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Because, let's be real, Macs > PCs.

At this point Margot, the daughter, is a teen now and while she ACTS like everything is all hunky-dory, we start getting hints that she's up to something (or getting into some kind of trouble, anyway.)

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I also really appreciated the authenticity of the text exchanges between David and Margot here. There's a lot of typing out, pausing, deleting, and re-typing happening and that's just VERY relatable.

Anyway, there’s a part where David misses TWO calls AND a FaceTime call from his daughter in the middle of the night and, I'll be honest with you, I found it SUPER stressful. Because all I could think was, "WAKE THE FUCK UP, DAVID!"

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But he definitely misses the calls, and wakes up the next day like, "WHHHEEERE is my daughter?"

David thinks maybe Margot just stayed with some friends, but after a day or two it's clear this is much more serious and that Margot is actually "missing."

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This is about the time Debra Messing shows up, too. She plays Detective Vick — the cop put in charge of helping David find Margot. TBH, I don't know if I totally buy Messing in the role of a police detective, but I rolled with it anyway.

And he starts SEARCHING....

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...AND SEARCHING.

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By this point, you’re so into the mystery of the film that you’ll definitely forget you’re watching the whole thing play out on a computer screen and through video chats. It’s all done pretty seamlessly, TBH.

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I was honestly looking around at all the details on the screen — desktop files, background windows, video comments — to see if I could solve the mystery!

I don’t want to get into too much more detail about how things actually play out because it’s really just better if you see it.

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But I will tell you that David basically ends up suspecting, like, EVERYONE (same, TBH) — from Margot's classmates to random people (in particular, one total fuckboi as pictured above) she's met on social media.

There's a part later on where the story continues to play out on the news, which kind of threw me off (because, isn't this all supposed to be on a computer screen?!), but then you realize it's actually just a YouTube video.

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In all honesty, I found that to be KIIIIND of a cheat, because who would actually be watching a video cast of themselves on YouTube? I mean, I get it, you gotta tell the story, but it was a little weird.

And, OF COURSE, the ending has a twist. BUT I WON'T SAY WHAT IT IS. Because whyyyyy would I do that?!

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Suffice to say, I was like, "YUP! KNEW IT!" at the end.

Final Thoughts:

Thriller rating: 8/10

Best part: Feeling like an armchair detective while watching the story play out.

Worst part: Knowing we live so much of our lives on phones/computers that a whole movie can be made of it.

Searching opens in select cities August 24th, everywhere August 31.