Searching 2018

In San Jose, California, the life of David Kim (John Cho) has taken a dark turn since the passing of his wife Pamela (Sara Sohn) due to lymphoma nearly two years ago. Trying to connect with his daughter Margot (Michelle La), David spends his time reminiscing over old photographs and videos. Tragically, this loss has created a rift between father and daughter, leaving them emotionally distant.

One fateful night, Margot heads off to a friend’s house for a study group. While David is asleep, she makes several attempts to reach him on the phone, but he remains unaware of her distress. The next morning, he assumes she has gone to school, yet he soon discovers something is amiss. After checking in with Margot’s piano instructor, he learns that she had canceled her lessons six months prior and has been taking the money for herself. As he digs deeper, David finds that she recently transferred a significant sum of $2,500 to a deleted Venmo account. Realizing Margot is missing, he contacts the authorities, leading to the involvement of Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing).

Detective Vick seeks insights into Margot’s personality and friendships, prompting David to scour Margot’s Facebook contacts. To his dismay, he finds out that Margot hasn’t maintained close friendships since her mother’s death. Vick then reports troubling information about a fake ID Margot created and surveillance footage showing her car at a highway junction, suggesting that she might have run away.

Unconvinced of that theory, David’s search reveals Margot’s online activity on a vlogging site called YouCast, where she often interacted with someone identified as “fish-and-chips.” After investigating, Vick finds that this person is innocent and located far from San Jose. Turning to Instagram, David uncovers Margot’s frequent visits to a local spot, Barbosa Lake. When he visits the lake, he discovers Margot’s Pokémon keychain, indicating her recent presence. Additionally, police uncover Margot’s car submerged in water along with the same $2,500.

Despite a massive search led by police and volunteers hindered by a thunderstorm, Margot’s body remains unfound. In a twist, as David reviews crime-scene photos, he spots his brother Peter (Joseph Lee)‘s jacket in the car, uncovering unexpected messages suggesting an affair between him and Margot. Their confrontation escalates as Peter claims David’s ignorance about his daughter’s struggles. The plot thickens when Vick reveals that an ex-convict has confessed to killing Margot. An empty-casket funeral is prepared, overshadowed by sorrow.

While finalizing the funeral video, David notices an unsettling coincidence: a stock photograph on a website resembles the profile of “fish-and-chips.” Attempting to share this revelation with Vick, he uncovers an unsettling truth about her connection to the case. Vick’s involvement comes into question as her past relationship with the criminal emerges, leading to her arrest during the funeral.

Days later, the truth unravels when Vick confirms her intent to confess her role in Margot’s disappearance — her son, Robert, had used the identity “fish-and-chips” to connect with Margot, ultimately leading to a tragic confrontation near the lake that resulted in Margot’s fall into the ravine. In an attempt to protect Robert, Vick had fabricated a narrative surrounding Margot’s supposed runaway situation.

In a gripping finale, as Vick is transported to jail, David presses her for Margot’s whereabouts. Her chilling affirmation that Margot is at the ravine ignites a flicker of hope in David when he argues that a recent storm could have provided her with water. Rushing to the ravine, rescuers discover Margot alive but injured.

Fast forward two years, Margot emerges with renewed vigor, having applied to college with aspirations of majoring in piano. Text messages and photos reveal a revitalized bond between David and Margot, illustrating their journey from despair to hope.