An ambitious but weak melodrama, Hooked tells the story of a young gay hustler named Jack (Conor Donnally), who turns tricks to make ends meet for him and his boyfriend Tom (Sean Ormond). The pair have plans for a future, and Jack is not above taking advantage of any situation that will further their goals, such as robbing clients (much to Jack’s eventual peril). While Jack has a certain exuberant energy and calculation that evokes Huckleberry Finn, he is more compelling in theory than actuality: the script by writer-director Max Emerson is so weak that the character’s potential as a complex, charismatic figure is undercut. The story turns when Jack and Tom meet Ken (Terrance Murphy), a married businessman who decides to take Jack under his wing and bring him along on a business trip. Jack, of course, sees right through Ken’s attempt to be a mentor with no sexual agenda, and when things heat up, several complications arise. Hooked suffers from numerous drawbacks: a self-defeating cheesiness about comic moments (one of Jack’s client’s wants him to pretend to be a nursing baby), the appearance of convenient devices (a handgun in a drawer), and a strange timidity about the squalor of freelance prostitution. Not recommended. (T. Keogh)
Hooked
Breaking Glass, 92 min., not rated, DVD: $24.99 Volume 33, Issue 5
Hooked
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: