Chad Allen's a gay detective in "Shock to the System"

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That "ex-gay" setting gives the creator and cast some compelling, fresh material to work with. It's precisely when Strachey faces the so-called "doctor" who promises to turn gay people straight that "Shock" resonates most.

Allen knows firsthand how closeted gay men struggle with homophobia; he bravely came out in 2001 (in The Advocate) after hiding his identity as an American teen idol for years. So when Strachey goes undercover, joining the "ex-gay" therapy group himself, then confronts Dr. Cornell over his disturbing anti-gay program, you can feel Allen's real anger.

Fortunately, the film is not a simple-minded rant. Dr. Cornell (Michael Woods) and his wife-assistant (Anne Marie DeLuise) disarm you with their earnest -- albeit misguided -- desire to help. The men and women in the clinic suffer in ways any queer person can relate to. "Choosing a straight lifestyle opens up all kinds of doors, amazing opportunities," Dr. Cornell coos. Strachey questions his own choice to come out publicly, as surely every gay person has on some occasion.

But in a murder mystery, existential questions take a back seat to the more pressing issue of "Whodunnit?" Suspects here range from a sporty member of the "ex-gay" support group who's a little too eager to play shirts-and-skins basketball after hours to the high-society mother of the deceased, played by none other than evening soap queen Morgan Fairchild.

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