Simply A Masterpiece

Sadly Over-hyped

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

This film is about a private investigator who investigates the death of a young man who hired him to find someone shortly before the death.I just watched "Third Man Out", so there is an inevitable comparison between the two. The mystery part is toned down compared to "Third Man Out", replaced with emotional elements about gay conversion. This makes the film melancholic and even saddening. To balance it off, there are more steamy scenes than "Third Man Out" to make "Shock to the System" more commercially appealing.The mystery part of the plot is hurt by the fact that all the leads point to a single suspect. If there were more suspects, then the mystery would have been more thrilling and engaging. Nevertheless, "Shock to the System" is an interesting mystery film with a emotional commentary on societal attitudes towards homosexuality. I find "Shock to the System" entertaining to watch.

Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) meets Paul Hale (Jared Keeso) on a dark street just before a truck tries to run him down, and when the client ends up dead Strachey gets more than interested especially since the man has given him a five-thousand dollar retainer. He visits the man's mother Phyllis Hale (Morgan Fairchild) and discovers that her son was a poster child for a clinic specializing in "conversion therapy", turning gay men into straight men through consultation and a host of other mysterious means. Strachey goes undercover as a client at the clinic, led by a smooth-talking Dr. Trevor Cornell (Michael Woods) who conducts group sessions touting self-examination designed to empower gay men into thinking and living their lives in straight ways. Strachey himself has a damaged psyche and recalls with angst his time spent in the Army and a companion as they lived a secret life. When Strachey's husband Tim Callahan (Sebastian Spence) offers some information about one of the clinic's wealthy clients and another body turns up dead things get really twisted. When Strachey discovers a DVD with a potentially damaging documentary that Paul Hale was creating he suspects Dr. Cornell but after a shoot out and the discovery of the real murderer the truth about the clinic and some of the clients comes out in a thrilling ending.

A young gay man affiliated with a so-called "gay no more" program seeks help in finding someone, from gay PI Donald Strachey (well played by Chad Allen), in this second in a series of gay detective stories, from Director Ron Oliver. Before Strachey can pursue the investigation, the young man turns up dead.My impression is that the filmmakers here want the audience to focus on the dubious nature of the "gay therapy" pushed by political conservatives. However, I chose to watch this film as I would any other murder mystery.The killer was a person who was not high on my suspect list; so I enjoyed the surprise ending. However, Ron Oliver's apparent objective to spotlight the hideous agenda of social conservatives seemed to override the need for intricate plotting, necessary for a truly effective whodunit puzzle. Still, the mystery element was sufficiently credible, and I did spend quite a bit of time with it. The mystery's outcome has some clever irony.The visuals have a noir, retro look and feel, especially in Strachey's office, with those window blinds, the table fan, and the light and shadows. The opening credits sequence features some great B&W schematics and a terrific jazz score. In the second half, light and shadows, together with eerie music, and the image of a hooded figure running down a dark corridor combine to create some excellent suspense.Film direction is unobtrusive and simple, probably by design. I could have wished for fewer close-up shots. At times, the pace grinds almost to a halt in scenes with lengthy dialogue; however, this is not a problem if your attention is on the murder mystery.To watch this film as a social commentary on those dreadful "gay no more" programs can be enlightening and informative. But I enjoyed the murder mystery element. "Shock To The System" wasn't quite as good as "Third Man Out", in my opinion. But it was as good or better than countless other whodunit films I have seen.

I just finished watching "Shock to the System" and I was absolutely amazed! This is a wonderfully made movie with a great plot and a terrific cast. I have not yet seen "Third Man Out", but it is now #1 on my list of movies to see. Chad Allen's performance in this movie showed just how talented he is as an actor. He has an amazing acting range and was allowed to show it in this movie. The scene where he tells Tim about his experience in the Army was one of the most emotional things I have seen in quite some time. I cried like a baby! Bravo to Chad Allen, the entire cast and crew, and writer Richard Stevenson for this wonderful experience! I will definitely own this movie when it is released on DVD. Do yourself a favor and check out "Shock to the System". You will not be disappointed!