Director Aneesh Chaganty’s first feature-length film, “Searching,” reimagines the murder-mystery genre by placing modern technology at the forefront of the story.

This is to say that the entire film takes place on the desktop of a computer; the audience only sees what the characters display on their computer screens.

Now, this premise might not sound like it would make for an enthralling whodunit narrative, and it even takes a few minutes to adjust to this sort of format, but Chaganty finds creative ways to get the main characters on screen without ever shying away from this unique mode of storytelling.

In this sense, the film excels in its style and inventiveness. This same form of storytelling was seen less successfully in Leo Gabriadze’s 2014 horror film, “Unfriended.”

While Gabriadze’s film primarily used a video chat feed to share its story, Chaganty’s film uses a number of apps and tools to create dramatic tension and suspense.

It goes to show that an entire story can be told through the technology we use every day. Because of this, Chaganty is able to bring an extra layer of reality to his film that does not exist in other murder mystery flicks.

However, where the film falls flat is in its ability to maintain this sense of reality throughout the entire story. Without giving away the plot, there are a number of story developments that become increasingly hard to believe given the hyper-real mode of storytelling.

The film follows the story of David Kim (John Cho), whose daughter Margot (Michelle La) suddenly goes missing shortly following the death of David’s wife. David and Detective Vick (Debra Messing) launch an investigation into Margot’s disappearance.

In typical murder-mystery fashion, several revelations occur throughout the film, taking Kim’s investigation one step further.

The film serves as proof of John Cho’s ability to star as a lead actor in a dramatic role. While his performance is commendable, the film is less about any actor’s individual performance and more about the unique storytelling.

Besides the film’s captivating vehicle of storytelling, there is also an excellent commentary on the way American culture handles tragedies.

This commentary is most notably visible after the investigation gains attention on the internet. The misleading, hurtful and exploitative comments that the general public make regarding Margot’s disappearance are not far off from the things we hear on social media following national tragedies.

The film really takes its time to develop the reality of the story, but it ultimately sacrifices this reality for unrealistic story beats. It would be interesting to see Chaganty take on a film where he is less confined by genre.