Author of sci-fi/fantasy, horror and adventure/thriller fiction

  • Home
  • The Blog
  • Email List/Contact
  • Interviews
  • Apocalyptic
  • Horror
  • Military Thriller
  • Sci-fi/Fantasy
  • All books

SEARCHING (2018)

August 23, 2020 by Craig DiLouie Leave a Comment

SEARCHING (2018, streaming on Netflix) is a mystery thriller film about a missing teenager that commits to a format, pulls an amazing amount of character and drama out of it, and presents a twisty, virtually unpredictable mystery.

The film rolls out on a series of small screens: desktops, laptops, cell phones, Youtube videos, Facebook, security camera footage, and the like. Through this format, we see a girl named Margot grow up with two loving parents. Tragedy strikes, and father David is left to raise his teenage daughter by himself. One night, she says she’s going to be out late with a study group but never returns. Now David must try to find out what happened to her using a variety of devices and social media, learning his daughter’s secrets in the process.

Limiting what we see to a series of small screens and clicks is an interesting device that could have quickly felt like a gimmick. Instead, it’s so well done through able direction that it plays out as a tense thriller, and the limited view provides a simultaneously voyeuristic yet intimate participation in Margot’s life and David’s search. Even with the limited lens, the good acting and script invest us heavily in drama that transcends the gimmick and provide almost constant tension with pacing that rarely flags. Within 5-10 minutes, I was affected and invested in these people by seeing the story of Margot growing up. The mystery aspect plays out extremely well, with all the seeds provided but nonetheless unpredictable and filled with twists. Thematically, the film touches on dealing with loss, the responsibilities of fatherhood, and the double-edged sword that is electronic media in our highly connected, low-privacy age.

Overall, I really liked this one and highly recommend it.

Filed Under: Movies & TV, The Blog

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

  • APOCALYPTIC/HORROR
    • Apocalyptic
    • Art
    • Film Shorts/TV
    • Movies
    • Music Videos
    • Reviews of Other Books
    • Weird/Funny
    • Zombies
  • COMICS
    • Comic Books
  • CRAIG'S WORK
    • Armor Series
    • Aviator Series
    • Crash Dive Series
    • Episode Thirteen
    • One of Us
    • Our War
    • Strike
    • Suffer the Children
    • The Alchemists
    • The Children of Red Peak
    • The End of the Road
    • The Final Cut
    • The Front
    • The Infection
    • The Killing Floor
    • The Retreat Series
    • The Thin White Line
    • Tooth and Nail
  • GAMES
    • Video & Board Games
  • HISTORY
    • Other History
    • Submarines & WW2
  • MEDIA YOU MIGHT LIKE
    • Books
    • Film Shorts
    • Interesting Art
    • Movies & TV
    • Music
  • POLITICAL
    • Politics
  • SCIENCE
    • Cool Science
  • The Blog
  • WRITING LIFE
    • Craig at Work
    • Interviews with Craig
    • Reader Mail
    • Writing/Publishing

Copyright © 2022 · Author Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in