One of the more interesting things happen with film right now is when directors decide to tell their filmic stories only through computer and smartphone screens. It’s an interesting reflection of how most of us live our lives, and is also, logistically, a really interesting way to construct a narrative.


Director Aneesh Chaganty‘s upcoming thriller, Searching, uses this format to breathe new life into a story about a kidnapped teenage girl, with John Cho starring as her frantic father. Our own Steve Weintraub spoke with both Chaganty and Cho at Sundance about the movie, which took two years to edit (you can watch the interview here).


In a recent EW interview with Cho, the publication mentions that, “While the story offers twists and turns in a fast-paced plot, Cho says the most unexpected factor for him watching the film for the first time with an audience at Sundance in January, was that it centered on a second-generation Asian-American family in a story not dealing with their race.” Cho himself added:

“It was incredibly emotional for me. Even though I’ve been doing work that has been in that way pushing boundaries, I felt like this was the glimpse of the end game, to see a complete family. It was a new achievement.”

Check out the first trailer below. Searching also stars Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Michelle La, and Sara Sohn, and will premiere in theaters this August.