«Searching»: media on the big screen

Cinema Wednesdays - Hélène Lavoyer

Between videos and souvenir photos filed in the computer, we watch the screen show us the Kims' family life, up until the death of Pamela Nam Kim (Sara Sohn). Husband David (John Cho) and daughter Margot (Michelle La), now without her mother, must cope and get on with life. One evening, everything turns their lives upside down again.

The story really begins the day Margot stops answering her father’s incessant, worried calls and messages. He eventually calls the police, and the investigation is led by Rosemary Wick, played by the determined Debra Messing. Before the viewer’s eyes, images similar to those seen daily on their screens allow them to follow the investigation, which leads the characters to the discovery of Margot’s car at the bottom of a lake.

David joins the investigation, frantically searching through his daughter’s computer, hacking into her social media accounts, and sifting through every bit of information about her. In the process, he learns everything a father would probably rather not know. Not really close to her high school classmates and absent from piano lessons for the past six months, Margot unwittingly reveals a side of herself that her father hadn’t known about until now.

After a man’s confession suddenly comes to light, David’s trust in Rosemary Wick is shattered. He realizes that she is connected, in one way or another, to his daughter’s disappearance. Doing everything in his power to find his daughter, David will eventually uncover the truth, which will be picked up by the media.

An innovative approach that ultimately turns out to be commonplace

Despite the plot twists that come at just the right moments, the narrative that guides the viewer through the story remains predictable—perhaps because it’s made up of images that remind us of something we’ve seen before. Blending the crime thriller genre with the technology that shapes our lives, the film is bold and innovative—just like the film itself. Profile by Timur Bekmambetov—but it doesn't always manage to surprise.

Read also: «Profile»: Not Normal, But Commonplace

As one video format after another unfolds before our eyes, we begin to reflect on the possibilities—both good and bad—offered by the technology that surrounds us. However, the sheer volume of text seems to distract us Searching of cinema, from which we draw our images. Or perhaps it was director Aneesh Shaganty’s intention to highlight the overwhelming importance of the written word in our society?

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Crédit photo : © 2018 Sony Pictures Releasing Switzerland GmbH