Watching the 2018 film Searching in class offered an interesting viewing experience, primarily because of its emotionally charged backstory and unexpected twists. Directed by Aneesh Chaganty, the film is unique in its narrative approach, unfolding entirely within a digital landscape. This innovative use of technology as the primary storytelling medium keeps the plot engaging and fast-paced and challenges traditional cinematic storytelling by offering a fresh perspective through its virtual action.
Initially, I was unsure why the producers decided to showcase the movie through a digital interface. However, one theme that particularly stood out to me when analyzing the movie was the concept of digital identity, highlighted through Margot’s “double” identity online. Unlike typical portrayals in cinema, Margot’s persona on social media turns out to be a more authentic reflection of herself rather than a fabricated alter ego. This unique representation is crucial to the film’s narrative. Writer Aja Romana, in her Vox article “Searching, a movie puzzle about digital isolation, is a bit of a mess. See it anyway,” supports this view by noting that Margot, “like many of us, is being the truest version of herself—lonely, introverted, and complicated” through her online interactions. This perspective allows the audience to understand Margot’s genuine identity, contrasting with the common misrepresentations on social media.
While traditional mystery writers like Agatha Christie might argue that incorporating modern technology into mysteries could dilute suspense and complexity by detracting from character development and intricate plotting, I believe Searching counters this viewpoint. The film integrates digital tools into its mystery by enhancing the storytelling experience when delving into the theme of Margot’s ‘double identity.’ The digital landscape is a pivotal medium for uncovering the truth about Margot’s disappearance and her real persona.
The film starts by setting the emotional groundwork with a depiction of a small Korean-American family focused on David Kim (the father and protagonist) and his daughter, Margot. The narrative quickly establishes an emotional core with the revelation of Margot’s mother’s death from cancer, which catalyzes the distance between David and Margot. The plot intensifies when Margot vanishes after leaving behind two missed calls on David’s phone. David teams up with Detective Vick and begins to explore Margot’s digital footprint, uncovering various aspects of his character in the process. His relentless pursuit to discover the truth about his daughter’s disappearance not only underscores his commitment and love but also his desperation and the lengths he will go to find answers. This investigation, primarily driven by digital tools, ultimately exposes (spoilers) Detective Vick’s and her son’s unsettling involvement in Margot’s disappearance at the movie’s end.
Going back to the topic of “double identity,” to support my argument about the effectiveness of digital platforms in uncovering true identities, I will draw a parallel with one of Agatha Christie’s classic mysteries, Murder on the Orient Express. In this novel, the renowned detective Hercule Poirot unravels a complex murder case aboard a snowbound train. Poirot’s investigative method involves interviewing passengers, observing their behaviors, and piecing together tangible clues, such as a handkerchief or a pipe cleaner found at the crime scene. Christie’s narrative primarily unfolds through face-to-face conversations and the detective’s acute observation of human psychology and physical evidence.
In contrast, in Searching, the protagonist, David Kim, exemplifies the modern detective. He leverages digital platforms to solve the mystery of his daughter Margot’s disappearance. David gathers and pieces together clues using social media apps like YouChat and Tumblr, emails, news sources, and online transaction records. This digital approach diverges significantly from Christie’s traditional detective methods, which focus on physical and psychological observations. Searching demonstrates that technology can not only complement but enhance detective work. For example, David’s ability to rapidly sift through vast amounts of digital data and connect disparate online activities offers a comprehensive and immediate understanding of the situation. This showcases how digital footprints can be crucial in modern investigative work, adding a new dimension to the mystery genre and challenging the notion that technology dilutes the complexity or suspense of a narrative.
In both scenarios, the detectives are faced with piecing together a hidden truth from available clues. However, while Poirot’s approach is constrained by the physical and the observable, David’s investigation extends into the digital realm, discovering facts and insights into personal identities and relationships. We can see how cruel some of Margot’s classmates genuinely are, like Abby, when she is seen both when David calls her and when she uploads a video of her crying as she pretends to miss Margot. This comparison highlights how Searching uses digital tools not merely as a gimmick but as a significant evolution in how narratives can explore and resolve mysteries, thereby providing a richer understanding of characters and their hidden lives.
Overall, I found the theme of Margot’s authentic digital identity to be the main interest in this movie, which is what I believe to be the main success when the producers utilized the digital interface as the primary medium for the film. Even though there could have been some potential improvements for the movie, such as how we are limited to truly understanding the actual lived experience of these characters, we do get a strong glimpse of Margot’s true feelings and perspective on what she’s gone through with the help of social media, which is what I consider as the “icing on the cake” for what makes this movie fulfilling. For anyone interested in watching the film, I recommend it!
Author: Daniel Myung
Sources used: https://www.vox.com/2018/8/29/17790040/searching-john-cho-review
Intermittent Mechanism 