SOCKALYPSE by Ruby Toolan | USA | 2025

Duration 00:02:51

A seemingly normal phone call between two friends quickly reveals itself as something much more sinister, yet the darkness isn’t quite what it seems.

DIRECTOR, WRITER : Ruby Toolan

CONTACTS, LINKS : rubytoolanfilms.squarespace.com  @RubyToolan18  @artbyrubyjane  RubyToolan (facebook)

A girl shares her strange dream over a phone call to her best friend. She attempts to describe to him an event and place that she isn’t sure she remembers much of at all. The only concrete images seared in her brain are spray painted socks, a black trash bag, and a desolate liminal space shrouded in darkness. The conversation becomes a sort of game of 20 questions in an attempt to paint a clearer picture, yet the visuals only further muddy the viewers’ understanding. The film culminates in what appears to be an attempt at a satisfying ending but only leaves one asking: are we in the Sockalypse now?

Director’s statement
This piece served as an experiment into non-linear storytelling and an exploration into the different origins of narratives. Based on a dream I had almost a year before that was then discussed over text , the voiceover in this film is an exact transcription of that conversation in an attempt to source my narrative untraditionally. I wanted the visual experience to echo that of its source: a dream, its fragmented and nonsensical, time and space are unspecific, and the imagery is often in opposition to the audio. There’s also a level of absurdity to it which lends itself to a commentary on the world we’re living in today and how we choose to navigate it. Though there is no direct message behind this work the possible interpretations are multitudinous and range from the unserious to the deeply contemplative. In my work I aim toleave the viewer questioning their perceptions of reality and the role they play in the world around them.

Bio
Ruby Jane Toolan is a filmmaker from Glastonbury, Connecticut who in May 2026 received her BFA in Painting from RISD. Her work explores themes of temporality, memory, dreams and how relationships are part of who we are and why we choose to live in a world that oftentimes feels at odds with us. Her work ranges from truly experimental to traditional narrative, all characterized by a strong painterly understanding of light, color and composition.

During her time at RISD she was a dedicated member of both the Brown University Motion Pictures and the Brown University Original Series Organizations working in various roles from Director of Photography, to gaffer, boom operator, production designer and editor.Ruby aims to make work that leaves audiences questioning themselves, the world they live in, and their responsibilities to it as human beings.

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