SOCKET
2007

TLA Releasing has a big gay corner on gay films, and also distributes horror films, many that we cover here. This film seems to be an attempt to blend the two genres, and while this probably limits its appeal in the horror market, it’s not as if this film would be any better or worse, or that even all that different (oh, except for the penis thing) if the main character was straight instead of gay.
We’re just not used to seeing male nudity in American movies. If you are bothered by two hairy guys tongue kissing and occasional full frontal male nudity, then by all means consider this a red flag (or maybe a pink one). It’s not gratuitous, but it is present in service to the story, just like boobs and tongue kissing would be in a bedroom scene in a straight-biased movie.
Our protagonist Dr. Matthews wakes up in an emergency room, having been struck by lightning. A hunky young intern befriends him and takes him to some sort of support group for people who have been hit by lightning and now like to shock themselves for shits and giggles. They all hook themselves up to a generator and get off on electricity, then go out dancing afterward and get fierce (well, what would you do?)
Electricity is the new poppers, bitches!
Being a clever doctor, he devises a way to implant a socket prong in his wrist. He can either plug it into a socket, or retract the plug and let someone similarly equipped plug into his, err, socket for an even bigger rush. Or they can both give and receive at the same time, plugging into one arm and being plugged into their socket on the other one! Yeah, I know…that doesn’t sound sexual at all, does it?
Like any escalating addict, he keeps looking for a bigger rush, until he finds himself killing people in a vampiric sort of way, by thrusting his prong into them for more of a high. Oops! I went a little too far. Sorry! Is this covered by malpractice insurance?
It’s not a bad concept, and the story moves along fairly rapidly. I thought the intern was good, and I liked the stereotypical yet realistic lesbian couple that were the doctor’s BFFs. But the main character is an arrogant prick, and hard to empathize with.
The drug-like rush of the electrical high was unconvincing, represented by a jumbled collage of recent events, much like a racing mind. It wasn’t working for me and was a bit confusing. Were they all seeing these images or was this just the doctor’s perspective?
Its’ uniqueness in being a gay-themed horror story does not exempt it from having to grab your imagination, which it by and large fails to do. The ending is unclear and unsatisfying, especially after the long build-up. And I was not convinced electricity was the best high ever. This movie did not make me want to stick my finger (or anything else) in a light socket.

-Hysteric Eric