Searching (2018)

I rented this movie from RedBox.

So I had been seeing trailers for this film for a while now, and was curious to rent it. I just never got around to it and was renting other films. However it was nearing the back of the RedBox listings and would soon not be available any more, so with code I got in my email to rent one get one free, I got Searching.

And it was great!
Filmed entirely from the perspective of someone looking at a computer, with a few instances of the Found Footage format here and there, it was actually amazing. It's engaging, and gripping. The twists and turns the film takes you through will surprise you, and it's very cleverly done. For the last half of the movie I was on the edge of my seat all the way to the very end with the various twists on the ending. I wasn't sure what was going to happen, nor did I guess any of the twists really. I was surprised, shocked, and thoroughly entertained.

The acting was on point, the tech showcased well. And I can believe that something like this could, and probably has actually happened.
I say this is a high recommend and a great watch. Go for it, rent it while you can. It won't be in RedBox much longer.


Mistake Status: I noticed one in my first viewing. Given the nature of this movie and how it's filmed, it's hard to really catch many mistakes, much less continuity errors. But maybe I'll revisit it some day.

Quantom X ★

A tense and convoluted drama/thriller about a 16 year old girl's sudden disappearance and her widower father's desperate attempts to use smartphone, computer, internet and social media to find out the truth about what happened and the life she lived that he was unaware of. Shown almost entirely on screens, the story has a modern and timely feel though the shocking conclusion is a bit of a stretch. Still, John Cho and Debra Messing are in top form as the worried and intense father and special detective investigating the child's whereabouts and fate.

Erik M.