Searching

Searching is a 2018 American screenlife mystery thriller film directed by Aneesh Chaganty in his feature debut, written by Chaganty and Sev Ohanian and produced by Timur Bekmambetov. Set entirely on computer screens and smartphones, the film follows a father (John Cho) trying to find his missing 16-year-old daughter (Michelle La) with the help of a police detective (Debra Messing). This was the first mainstream Hollywood thriller headlined by an Asian-American actor. A co-production between the United States and Russia, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2018, and was theatrically released in the United States on August 24, 2018, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film was a financial and critical success, grossing over $75 million worldwide against a $880,000 budget and receiving praise for its direction, acting, unique visual presentation and unpredictable storyline. At the Independent Spirit Awards, Cho was nominated for Best Male Lead. A standalone sequel, Missing, was released on January 20, 2023. Plot David Kim lives in San Jose, California, with his daughter Margot. His wife Pamela was diagnosed with lymphoma and died before Margot entered high school. One night Margot attempts to call David but he is asleep. The next morning David cannot get in contact with Margot. Believing she is attending her piano lesson, David calls the instructor but is informed Margot cancelled her lessons six months prior. He discovers she pocketed and transferred the money to a now-deleted Venmo account. He calls the police and the case is assigned to Detective Rosemary Vick. Accessing Margot's accounts, David learns she has become a loner since Pamela's death. Vick reports Margot made a fake ID, and shows traffic camera footage of her car outside of the city, suggesting she may have run away.