"Searching" is a tightly written, smoothly edited mystery thriller with a unique style that works well for them. The film is a found footage format, but "Searching" goes one step beyond. Where a film like "Blair Witch" or "Cloverfield" might be a series of videos taken from a camcorder, the footage from "Searching" is taken from a computer screen. All the footage of the movie is comprised of video captures from the desktop screen of our main character, David Kim. The film makers have fun with showing the passage of time through older internet interfaces. With any film making gimmick, the question becomes, does this format help or hurt the flow of the story? And I can say with confidence that this time around it helps the story.

The desktop point of view helps the audience both get in the head of our hero, but also to help them play along at home. The hero only has the same resources that any of us have. This makes him relatable, and the search more fascinating.

On the negative side, outside of this hook, there isn't much else to the movie. Perhaps I simply watch too many other crime dramas, but this just brought very little new to the table for the mystery. It is an old story but told in a creative way.

If you like crime thrillers, suspense or mystery, then this is a fine film for you. If you are an inspiring editor, you may want to watch this film for a showcase of tight visual story telling. If any of those apply to you, then this is the film you're searching for.