Day 252 of the challenge! Searching is another contender for my top 10 of 2018!
I don't even know where to start with Searching. There's a very well scripted and acted mystery thriller at the core of the film, one that will have you guessing with all sorts of twists and turns up until the final moments (and no doubt be a great source of anxiety for you). Searching's largest feat (or gimmick depending on how cynical you are), however, is the way it takes advantage of the technologically dominated world we live in to tell it's story (which admittedly might not have been as interesting to watch without the unique framing).
By framing the film from the perspective of all the screens (black mirrors hehe) we keep glued to us, and their corresponding digital and social media services, Searching offers some of the most inspired (and scariest) digital age commentary I've ever seen in a film. Through it, we have the ability to be whoever we want to be, say whatever we want to say, connect with whoever we want to connect to, and do whatever we want to do, all with frightening ease and a false sense of anonymity. And yet, Searching also highlights that despite all these connections at our disposal, we can know absolutely nothing about our supposed friends and loved ones. The danger of isolation is real, and Searching shows you there are consequences.
Searching is also a technological marvel, recreating the user experience (with a seamless mix of footage and animation) we all have with our screens whilst creating a great sense of tension and urgency. I don't think I've ever been so anxious watching someone reset a Facebook password before. Searching offers plenty more to think about outside all this, from trust in authority, the constantly fluctuating role a parent has in their children's life as they grow, to mourning and healing (etc and etc), definitely making it worth multiple watches!