If you haven't yet experienced one of the most inventive mystery thrillers of the 2010s, time is running out. Searching, the 2018 screenlife sensation starring John Cho, is set to depart Peacock on June 1. This is your last chance to stream a film that redefined how stories can be told entirely through digital screens.
Directed by Aneesh Chaganty in his feature debut, Searching follows David Kim (Cho), a father who launches a frantic digital investigation after his teenage daughter goes missing. The entire narrative unfolds on computer screens, phone displays, and security camera feeds—a format known as "screenlife" that was pioneered by producer Timur Bekmambetov. While Bekmambetov's later screenlife effort Mercy (starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson) flopped critically and commercially earlier this year, Searching remains the gold standard of the genre.
The film earned a "Certified Fresh" 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its timely premise and original execution. It also won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at Sundance, awarded to films that explore science and technology themes. Inadvertently, the movie became a sleek advertisement for Apple products, as every device shown was from the tech giant.
Chaganty followed Searching with the traditionally shot spin-off Run, while a sequel, Missing, was released in 2023 and grossed nearly $50 million worldwide. For fans of psychological thrillers from the 2010s, Searching is a must-watch that holds up brilliantly.
If you're looking for more edge-of-your-seat viewing, check out our list of unrelentingly disturbing thrillers or explore the best sci-fi thrillers of the last 15 years.
Don't wait—stream Searching on Peacock before it vanishes on June 1. Stay tuned to ShowtimeSpot for more streaming alerts.
