''Searching for Sonny'' is a 2011 independent film and the feature film debut of writer/director Andrew Disney. The film released on October 22, 2011 and stars Jason Dohring as one of several people involved in a murder mystery.

Plot

Elliott (

Jason Dohring Jason William Dohring (born March 30, 1982) is an American stage, television and voice actor who is best known for his role as Logan Echolls on the television show ''Veronica Mars'' (2004–2007, 2019) and the 2014 film continuation as well as ...

), Calvin ( Nick Kocher), Gary ( Brian McElhaney) and Eden (

Minka Kelly Minka Kelly (born June 24, 1980) is an American actress and model. Her first starring role was in the NBC drama series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2009) and she has also appeared on the shows '' Parenthood'' (2010–2011), ''Charlie's Ang ...

), find themselves chief suspects in a murder mystery at their ten-year high school reunion. The events surrounding the disappearance of their friend Sonny (

Masi Oka is a Japanese actor, producer, and digital effects artist who became widely known for starring in NBC's ''Heroes'' as Hiro Nakamura and in CBS's ''Hawaii Five-0'' as Doctor Max Bergman. Early life Oka was born in Tokyo, Japan, to Setsuko Oka. Hi ...

), is reminiscent of a high school play they once performed, coincidentally written by Sonny himself. Deception leads to scandal and the truth surfaces as the friends learn that shady businessmen and school officials are involved in a complex scheme of money and murder.

Cast

as Elliot Knight *

as Eden Mercer *

as Sonny Bosco * Michael Hogan as Principal Faden * Nick Kocher as Calvin Knight * Brian McElhaney as Gary Noble *

Clarke Peters Peter Clarke (born April 7, 1952), known professionally as Clarke Peters, is an American-British actor, writer, and director. He is best known for his roles as Lester Freamon in the television series ''The Wire'' (2002–2008) and Albert Lambrea ...

as The Narrator * Mackinlee Waddell as Maggie Phillips * Brandon Thornton as Zack Hayes * Kristin Sutton as Cynthia Schubert

Reception

Critical reception for ''Searching for Sonny'' has been mostly positive and ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' summed the film up as "Quirky, comic film noir proves yet again that high school reunions never turn out well." Much of the film's praise centered around the film's acting and directing, and the '' Oklaholma Gazette'' commented that Disney's work helped to make the film look "like several million dollars were poured into the thing".

Awards

*''Best Screenplay'' at the

Phoenix Film Festival Phoenix Film Festival is a festival that celebrates feature films and their creators. Started in 2000, the annual celebration takes place in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. The festival is a showcase for feature and short films from all over the wo ...

(2012, won) *''Best Ensemble'' at the Phoenix Film Festival (2012, won) *''Best Narrative Feature'' at the Festivus Film Festival (2012, won)

References

External links

* *
Kickstarter campaign
{{DEFAULTSORT:Searching For Sonny 2011 films 2011 comedy films 2011 directorial debut films 2011 independent films 2010s crime comedy films American crime comedy films American detective films American independent films American neo-noir films American teen films Films about missing people Films shot in Texas Kickstarter-funded films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films