Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Digital mystery satisfies on technical, emotional levels.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Searching
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Based on 29 kid reviews
Kids say the movie features an engaging and unique story, praised for its filming style and plot twists, making it suitable for older teens and adults despite certain disturbing themes and moderate violence. Many viewers recommend it for family movie nights and believe it effectively conveys important lessons about communication and awareness in the digital age.
- thrilling experience
- unique storytelling
- suitable for teens
- emotional depth
- important lessons
- moderate violence
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
In SEARCHING, David Kim (John Cho) has a happy family. He enjoys watching his daughter Margot grow up, posting pictures and videos of her to social media. As Margot hits her teenage years (played by Michelle La), David finds himself raising her alone, and she seems increasingly distant. Finally one day she simply disappears after a supposed study group, and David hits the internet to try to find clues about where she might have gone. Her friends don't seem to know much, but he discovers that she's also been skipping her piano lessons and pocketing the money. A detective (Debra Messing) comes on the case, and time seems to be running out. Can David spot the final clue that will piece everything together?
Is It Any Good?
Perhaps inspired by the success of 2014's Unfriended, this mystery ventures in fresh, new directions while being superbly constructed, emotionally satisfying, and culturally relevant. The debut feature of director Aneesh Chaganty, who also wrote the screenplay with producer Sev Ohanian, Searching is notable for focusing on a Korean American family without making an issue of it. It frankly doesn't matter what culture the Kim family comes from (other than in the valuable representation sense, of course). What matters is what would matter to any human being when a family member is in trouble.
In the lead role, Cho does amazing things, performing largely by himself and within unconventional cameras and camera setups, reaching new emotional depths. The movie's filming techniques do recall some of the more effective things used in Unfriended and Unfriended: Dark Web, but Searching expands the genre's toolbox, going further in both time and space. And the screenplay, while suffering a few small, easily forgivable shaky spots, is a thing of beauty, furthering the story with desperate, constant propulsion, and dropping little clues in the most innocuous places. When it all comes together, it's with a most pleasurable snap.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Searching's depiction of violence. How much is shown, and how much is kept offscreen? Are these incidents equally effective? Why or why not?
How are drugs depicted? Are they glamorized in any way? Are there consequences to teens using drugs? Why does that matter?
The movie shows the internet to be both useful and dangerous. How can we choose what's safe -- and what isn't?
Margot's act of generosity turns out badly, but how does the movie view her act? Is she still admirable? Should generosity be viewed as risky?
How do the characters demonstrate perseverance? Why is that an important character strength?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 24, 2018
- On DVD or streaming : November 27, 2018
- Cast : John Cho , Debra Messing , Michelle La
- Director : Aneesh Chaganty
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Screen Gems
- Genre : Thriller
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic content, some drug and sexual references, and for language
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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