As I age, I find myself having to get used to and adjust to the new norms and ways of filmmaking that are being introduced to us as viewers and critics alike. I had heard great things about this new film, Searching, but as I was watching it and discovered that most if not all of the film was told using various means of social media such as Face Time, YouCast, or various other methods of calling, texting and communicating over the world wide web. To some this probably seemed like an interesting way of telling a story in a radical and brand new way, but to me, I found myself getting a little agitated and also losing interest as I really have no desire to watch, or engage with someone using these various means of communication and nor do I use any of those services myself. I thought the overall film would be lost on me, but I stayed with it and mustered all the patience I had with it and I am glad to say that my perserverance paid off and I started to like this film a lot more and I then started to see that a truly mesmerizing story was taking place in front of me and because of the zeitgeist and times of our day, perhaps this new approach of telling the story was not so useless after all and maybe I was just being too old fashioned and I am glad that I soon found much interest in the story, the film and yes, even the technological approach it took to telling this tale. Searching is not just your run of the mill mystery, or thriller film because I think it is a lot better than that. It takes a story that very easily could have become cliched, or formula ridden and instead gives us something new to look at whilst all the while keeping us the viewers in complete suspense and not only capturing our interest, but truly keeping us guessing as to what and how this mystery would end and I for one could not see the various twists and turns in the film coming and I would go as far as to say they were a very pleasant surprise as well as turning what could have been a mediocre film into a true masterwork. The film knows how to tell a good story and certainly keep everyone guessing as to how it will turn out as well as capturing your interest and holding it throughout the film, but I would also say that this film is a bit of a commentary on several bigger issues that I am very glad were explored through the course of the film. One such issue is again as I have gone on about in various other reviews is the danger of technology and how young people of this generation are getting more and more familiar with it and also at the same time how they seem to be getting less careful with it by exposing much critical and personal information online that could ultimately cause them harm not just to their computer, or online status, but to their personal safety as well. There are a lot of good things to say about computers, the internet and technology, but we can also say that it has taken away communication and has made life in a sense too easy and caused us all to become a lot lazier. I would hate to see how people would communicate and function in society in a generation, or so to come when this will be an even more widespread problem. The other issue that is a key note to this film is the topic of parenting, especially in a day and time where we are too wrapped up with our own lives to truly care about what our children are doing and also just not spending time, or taking an interest in their activities. Parents seem to be reaching out more to their kids in social media platforms, but I would still venture a guess and say that good old fashioned one on one talking is what is needed here and actually taking an interest and being a part of your children's lives is so important and perhaps less tragedies such as the one depicted in this film will soon fade away if we could simply just take the time. Finally in a smaller, but still impactful way, the film shows how the media also has truly taken over and glamorized tragedies and sorrows of other people and how nothing is essentially private anymore, but all made tailor ready for one's viewing pleasure. It's hard not to think that maybe there is a lot of fake news going on and maybe a lot of what they are covering is not nescessarily the truth, but a well written story as well. The acting is very good here particularly by leads John Cho and Debra Messing and I give kudos to the amazingly suspenseful script which uses no violence, or profane material to tell this story and they don't need it either and they provide a film that is not only enthralling, but told in a unique and original way with also a lot to say. I am glad I stuck through the film and it turned out to be one of this year's best achievements and times out at the movies. Highly recommended.