Sundance 2021: Searchers
sundance 2021Out of all the social interactions one normally experiences, dating might be the one that has changed the most over the past couple of decades. Evolving alongside technology, apps and virtual interaction have become a hallmark of the modern dating experience – with Pacho Velez's newest feature documentary Searchers attempting to capture this often complex and depressing experience. Taking the time to find diverse perspectives and show their interactions on various dating apps from searching for a new match to really trying to get to know someone through messages, Searchers is authentic yet never quite finds its footing how the film would like to.
If there is one thing to stand out within Searchers, it would be the authenticity of the voices it is featuring. The film goes out of its way to dedicate time to voices of all ages, races, genders and sexualities – which is both as refreshing as it is touching. It will be hard for anyone to not find some perspective they relate to within the film and the emotional journeys they go on with every swipe. From the depressing worry of never finding anyone to the joy even someone with a cute smile can bring, it is clear that the subjects within the film are being vulnerable and honest. It also helps that the film is honest regarding the virtual dating experience. The feature doesn't try to force any emotion or narrative other than the one it naturally is finding. Small pieces of the film's visual display, such as having the subject look right at the audience and using actual iconography from the various dating apps, also helps suck the audience into the reality of the perspectives the film is highlighting.
Yet, for an experience so universal, the film sadly does feel a bit distant in a few ways. The first is simply its ties to the New York City experience. New York City has such a specific culture and space for an opportunity that Searchers really becomes tied to. This is clearly an exploration of the voices within New York City and for those who don't live in the big apple, it can feel a bit hard to truly relate to in this sense. The second is simply an issue of circumstance. In an era of lockdown, where the opportunity to physically connect with others is quite literally both illegal and dangerous, the film feels more like a relic of the near past than a capturing of the modern-day. Whilst this is far from the fault of the filmmakers, it undeniably does affect the viewing experience of the project and stands as an unfortunate reality the film has to live with in release. The other issue is simply that it is repetitive. As the film jumps from perspective to perspective there can be long stretches where nothing really happens and no interesting thoughts are really found and where the film always feels watchable, largely due to the personable subjects it features, this can make the viewing experience a bit taxing at times.
Searchers is a conflicting film. It clearly has authentic voices and works fine at capturing a uniquely modern side of humanity but just doesn't reach that next level. It is simply a bit too tied to pre-pandemic life and the New York City culture to fully connect as a powerful and relatable story at the moment, but as the feature ages, it is safe to assume that it will find new life as a time capsule of what the modern human experience was like.
