From the naming of the movie, to the previews, to the start of the movie it was clear that this movie was trying ride on the back of the previous installation , Searching. While it is not a sequel to that one and you do not need to see that one first they were definitely trying to create something similar to that film and in all accounts they succeeded in doing so. Like Searching they shared the story pretty much entirely through technology like webcams and cell phones screens and you are tasked with trying to put the pieces together to solve who the kidnapper is.
It keeps your attention the whole time , but I think the problem with it is that it's extremely predictable. For the first three quarters of the film you know they would be showing all kinds false leads. This would be fine if they built the story and you were able to use these false leads to figure it out or make a guess about what ends up happening, but the reality is none of them really mean anything and the ending feels a bit lazy and something actual police would have solved in a heartbeat. The villain also has little to no character development which limits the ceiling on any movie's success.
Overall it's entertaining and I enjoyed attending with friends I hadn't seen in a while, but this isn't a movie you'd really consider watching again or one that you will remember after a while. Still fine entertainment for a Saturday night nonetheless but just not earth shattering.
