Debra Messing also stars in Aneesh Chaganty's inventive thriller— told entirely with computers, cell phones, and social media sites.

The pop-up text message has become all but ubiquitous onscreen over the last decade, with visual techniques varying as to the best way to illustrate technology in movies. Siri, FaceTime, and Facebook are such an integral part of contemporary life, it would be odd if these things didn’t filter into our storytelling. In “Searching,” the new film starring John Cho, director Aneesh Chaganty takes it a step further, telling his entire movie using computers, cell phones, and social media sites. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to largely positive reviews, and the newly released first trailer hints at why.

“Searching” follows young father David (Cho) on a wild goose chase after his teenage daughter goes missing. He enlists the help of a reputable detective (Debra Messing), but soon discovers he is going to have to go rogue if he wants see his daughter again. Following the digital paper trail that includes Facebook, e-mails, and text messages, David uncovers hidden clues to his daughter’s whereabouts.

In her B+ review of “Searching” out of Sundance, (previously titled “Search”), IndieWire’s Kate Erbland wrote: “’Search’ similarly blends storytelling with theme, but the final result is something far more inspiring, one that reaches way beyond its initial gimmick to deliver an engrossing ride.”

Check out the trailer for “Searching” below:

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