20 Secret Movie Sub-Plots You Didn't Notice

20. The Aliens Have Landed! - Searching (2018)

It turns out his missing daughter may be the least of John Cho's worries in this twisty abduction thriller, because there may be a bigger issue looming on the horizon. 

Searching follows an embattled father desperately attempting to find his teenage daughter, and its unique execution is to die for, set entirely on computer screens. Not only is this a clever narrative device - claustrophobic and chilling - it also leaves the film packed with easy-to-miss details.

The biggest revelation lurking under the thrills is scattered throughout the movie, with various headlines and news reports suggesting an alien invasion is taking place in the wider world. None of the headlines or posts are entirely obvious, because the film's main storyline is such an intense rollercoaster. 

Put in place as a silly joke by writer Sev Ohanian, this is one meta subplot that really adds some tension to Cho's situation: His daughter's missing, and extra-terrestrials have landed? That's a full day, alright.