Cinematic plays on the true-crime podcast craze are about as fresh as warmed-over veggie patties, yet “Susie Searches,” the debut feature film from Sophie Kargman, uses the trend to launch a satisfying if familiar mystery movie. Susie (Kiersey Clemons) is a college overachiever who in her spare time works at a burger joint, volunteers at the sheriff’s office and hosts a podcast investigating cold cases. This vast extracurricular catalog populates the story with an array of oddballs who, soon enough, make for a quirky cast of suspects when Jesse (Alex Wolff), a New Age influencer and campus celebrity, goes missing.
A practiced amateur sleuth, our protagonist buckles down to crack the case. But once Susie’s efforts anoint her as a local hero, Kargman — along with the film’s screenwriter William Day Frank — abruptly flips the script. We learn that Susie is not quite the detective she claims to be, and her do-gooder facade veils more selfish motives. As her lies pile up, Susie becomes riddled with guilt, and the small-town eccentrics surrounding her transform from potential criminals into potential criminal informants.
Kargman marks this transition with a playful approach to camera movement and framing, making use of quick turns, collaged jump cuts and split screen. “Susie Searches” is more than comfortable drawing on the staid tropes of its genre, particularly those that paint mental illness as a path to depravity. But despite its narrative shortcomings, the film builds a tense and mischievous mood that acts as its hook.
Susie Searches
Not rated. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes. In theaters.
