Grimossfer Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

martimusross It started slowly as the characters were revealed and like Nordic Noir the narrative drive was the meticulous investigation on the internet. For those on social media this was brilliant for those more technologically naive this was a bore. The silence and mouse clicks let to the suspense for me others thought it made the movie slow. The acting was brilliant and you felt his pain and frustration. A really great movie with an unexpected twist, I loved it.

Jack Bennett A father hunts social media and the internet for clues to his daughter's disappearance, but has to ask what if she wasn't abducted? What if she simply ran away?We live in a world where our every action, thought and impulse can be broadcast to the world if we chose (or even if we don't). To therefore see a film where that plays into the hands of people on both sides of the criminal spectrum forces the audience to decide as to which side the fence they sit with regard to personal data protection, as well as tackling the effects of catfishing and leading multiple 'fake' lives online.The story circles around the efforts of a recent widower whose daughter isn't returning his calls and appears to have gone missing in an abduction case; however, her social media and banking accounts leads the police to suspect that maybe she ran away. Not content with the version of events, the desperate father follows his own line of enquiry to attempt to uncover what really happened to her.Since we're looking through the online world for the majority of the time, the film has a lot to say on the vindictive nature of a mass online audience with no moral boundaries or sense of individual responsibility. There are the 'Best Dad' memes, the needlessly speculative neighbours who just want their 15 minutes of fame on NBC, the trending 'dad did it' hashtag, the endless "thoughts and prayers", and the flip-flopping of people, through crocodile tears, who now claim to have been best friends his daughter for the sake of 'views' and 'likes'. The way the film is delivered exclusively via laptop screens - from the revelation of a family tragedy via calendar invites to characters' inner thoughts being typed in a text but then deleted - is one of its top strengths and gives it the draw that keeps the audience 100% engaged up to until the final (incredibly satisfying if exposition-heavy) whodunit reveal. It would be wrong, however, to say it was unique or pioneering; let's not forget that 2014's Unfriended did it to a lesser degree than Searching manages.There will be some people who will hate the way it's presented as being on a PC monitor, who won't like the ending twists, who will despise the use of social media as a plot device. I think they're wrong; it's deeply refreshing to see something new, vibrant and different done so well for a change.Best Quote: "It is the police's job - not yours - to act on flakes of evidence."

marcjinx Watched the film today and I must say I was extremely surprised with how much I enjoyed this film. Not your typical thriller! A must watch.

ghetarr2001 Searching may be told in a uniquely digital format, but at the core, this is a story of family, loss, and grief. The film features plenty of twists and turns, and packs an emotional punch on the way to a rollercoaster finale. Ultimately, Searching employs a style of filmmaking built for the social media age, whilst operating like a typical suspense thriller. Searching does not rely upon these technological platforms as a storytelling gimmick, though. The technological platforms instead are used to better demonstrate the disconnect that can occur between a parent and child when faced with tragedy. The film continuously shows ways in which advancements in technology have dramatically changed family interaction, for better or worse.Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, iPhones, online videos, desktop and laptop screens are all tools used in different scenes throughout the film. The different modes of communication are integrated seamlessly. Today's younger generations use technology with ease to interact with peers, as well as conceal certain truths, projecting only an image they deem fit to display. In the film, we see how young people may take advantage of these platforms to express themselves in an honest way online that they simply cannot do in the company of a parent.The experience of viewing Searching presents a few questions: Despite the unprecedented access people now have to one another, whether by phones, screens, or text, does the communication itself between us really improve? What is the definition of a friend in this digital world, when the term friend is so casually used? And what, if any, are the differences between our "real-life" persona, and the "digital" one we choose to create? In some ways, Searching reflects a kind of cultural adaptation to the digital age that individuals and families must make, in order to effectively communicate. First time feature director Aneesh Chaganty has pulled off a visual magic trick, and a new cinematic language has either been invented, or perfected.