The lives of con men have been the grist for many a Hollywood mill over the years, with numerous flicks featuring the unlikely ways of hoaxers, imposters, plotters and conspirers.

Bring in author Chuck Palahniuk, however, and convention and tradition become things of the past. Just as he shined a controversial light on the underground violence depicted in his first movie adaptation, Fight Club (1999), Palahniuk’s latest silver-screen adaptation of his book, Choke, brings about a similar burst of controversy.

The film is more of a character study of an addict than a conventional storyline-movie. The plot follows Victor, a sex-addicted medical school dropout who tries to pay for the care of his mentally ill mother by feigning choking and toying with his saviors’ emotions for money. Working an unfulfilling job and surrounding himself with equally unstable friends doesn’t help his self-loathing tendencies, but nonetheless, he seems to take every opportunity to sabotage himself. In following his mental wanderings, I found myself desperately hoping that he latches on to something even remotely healthy.

This movie is not for everyone — it is harsh and gross, filled with bodily fluids, depraved sexual acts, profanity and bad choice after bad choice. Most of the supporting cast is filled with stereotypes and one-dimensional jokes, and interior monologue is extremely repetitive.

Choke’s success compared to that of Palahniuk’s box office and cult hit Fight Club, has been lukewarm at best. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to mixed reviews from audiences and critics alike. Many fans found the movie’s comedic tilt a disappointment in comparison to the book’s dark style of writing (the script was written by first-time director Clark Gregg). Furthermore, a number of scenes from the book were omitted, including the stoning at the end, which director Gregg said was shot, but didn’t turn out well because of budgetary reasons (he hopes to include it on the DVD).

Despite the hits the film has taken, Sam Rockwell, who plays protagonist Victor Mancini, and Anjelica Huston, who plays Victor’s mother, Ida, received fairly consistent — and often vehement — praise for their performances, as did the Fight Club-esque voiceovers that take place throughout the movie that are pulled straight from the book.

My bottom line? Go read the book if you are interested. It, like the movie, contains sexually explicit scenes, blasphemy, exaggerated references to bodily excretions, death, childhood trauma and other material people may find offensive. If you are up for a movie on the shorter side with some crude but otherwise enjoyable humor, you might enjoy this one, but do not expect it to be on par with Fight Club either in terms of acting or in terms of plot line and development.

Palahniuk’s characters are vulnerable and intriguing, his environments refreshing and his observations revolutionary. However, his plot structure lacks variety and Choke’s overall tone ties a bit too closely to that of Fight Club. Even the protagonists are comparable — self-righteous outlaws and underdogs who use emotional and physical blackmail to pursue causes they believe to be beneficial to others.

Both seem to be balancing personal crises with an obsessive zest as they experience near-death encounters that encourage them in their search for self-purpose. Choke boldly exposes the dirty truth disguised beneath the glamour of our society, but it isn’t any thing we haven’t already heard: Our culture is over-stimulated and obsessed with sex, reputation and material accomplishments. We are self-serving even when we think we are helping others. We are animalistic and savage in our thoughts and behaviors. And to quote Victor, “We spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are.” Be warned that happy endings and feel-good moments are not Palahniuk’s style; don’t expect to walk out of the theater with a spring in your step or to turn that last page with a chuckle.