“Searching” may seem like a gimmick, but it’s more than that.

This is a compelling thriller that takes the computer screen gimmick from the “Unfriended” franchise and enhances it – with a film full of twists and turns and a surprising touch of humanism.

The premise is simple – David Kim (John Cho) is a recently widowed father whose world is turned upside down when his 16-year-old daughter Margot (Michelle La) goes missing.

With the help of a local detective (Debra Messing), David sets out to find Margot – learning throughout the investigation that his daughter harbored a lot of secrets.

Director Aneesh Chaganty, who also co-wrote the film, stages “Searching” almost entirely on laptops and other technology devices to create a visual style that has started to find a niche with the recent “Unfriended” films. That visual made for a nice way to change around your typical horror jump scares, but “Searching” finds another way to bring this visual style to good use.

This is a film that demands the audience’s attention, a mystery with visual breadcrumbs throughout. Every twist in the film, and there are plenty, is set up – but in such a subtle manner that a lot of crumbs won’t be realized until after the twist occurs.

It makes “Searching” a lot of fun just to see how much you can figure out before David, and gives audiences plenty of conversation pieces post-screening to figure out how much was right there in front of them the whole time.

But “Searching” is more than just a visual gimmick. Cho delivers a quality performance here, perfectly capturing this father’s journey as he not only tries to find out what happened to his daughter, but also discover how she got there.

The story has even more depth with an opening sequence that perfectly sets the stage – showing how this family was shattered by the death of David’s wife. It’s full of subtle moments that are reminiscent of “Up,” something I wouldn’t have expected from this film.

That emotional attachment really hooks the audience, giving “Searching” a heart that makes the final act even more compelling. The final twists were a little too much for me, but it makes sense within the confines of the plot so I won’t be too critical.

It’s ultimately a satisfying finish to a film that proves to be a nice change of pace as the summer season comes to a close.

Starring: John Cho, Debra Messing

Directed by: Aneesh Chaganty

Rating: PG-13 for thematic content, some drug and sexual references, and for language

Playing at: Regal Bowling Green Stadium 12

Grade: B