A lonely, grieving waitress called Agnes living in a small Motel room is surprised to find an unlikely love interest in the mysterious drifter Peter. Meanwhile Agnes' abusive ex-husband seems insistent on ruining her life and to further add to the problems, Peter informs Agnes of the millions of bugs that infest her apartment... Or do they?
Adapted from a stage play, "Bug" plays out largely in one room, with nearly all of the action occurring there. It truly drips with claustrophobia and impending menace as paranoia and reality join hysterically, as what begins as a simple character drama descends eventually into frenzied madness. It is the journey into this madness however that is the most interesting part of the film, with the performances of Judd and Shannon shining through as exceptional.
As soon as Peter (Shannon) appears, you can tell that you are beholding a truly skilled actor, his performance evokes many questions about his sanity and reliability and never really answers any of them. Ashley Judd also excels as the innocent waitress who is drawn into Peter's conspiracy-fuelled paranoia and the slow disintegration of her sanity is well played out and convincing. Harry Connick Jr. also gives a genuinely menacing performance as Judd's violent ex-husband Jerry, and adds a terrifying sub-plot the main proceedings.
 
"Bug" is not your conventional horror movie either, it's not overly violent, and it plays out as more of a psychological thriller. The storyline is simple and not much happens, as it relies more on in-depth character study than shocks or gore. Saying that there are one or two very nasty moments that certainly induce enough winces for it to fall into the horror genre. I'll just mention one of them has to do with teeth, so take from that what you will!
There are some problems however, as although the first hour or so is involving, tense and held together with great performances, the last act really falls down due to over-hysterical performances from some of the actors, notably Judd. She comes across almost comical in her mannerisms and it really detracts from the slow-building tension of the rest of the film. This was a shame as it pulls the viewer out of the close-set world of the motel room and forces them into an objective viewpoint. Had the ending been toned down slightly, it would have been far more effective.
However, as a whole the film doesn't suffer too much from its rushed ending and as a result still comes across as an exceptionally claustrophobic, horrifically nerve-racking and thoroughly agitating (horror) thriller.
What begins as an almost flawless film, unfortunately loses steam in its final act and delivers subsequently a less poignant ending than it could have done. It still however delivers on its itchy premise and foreboding tension throughout. Friedkin has certainly made a marked return to the horror genre with this film. On a side note I found the film so effective that I couldn't sit still during it and found myself unnecessarily itching all over; it really does get under your skin!
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ALTERNATIVE TITLE:
MOVIE YEAR: 2006
DIRECTOR: William Friedkin
WRITING CREDITS: Tracy Letts, Tracy Letts
GENRE: Horror, Drama, Thriller
CAST: Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Harry Connick Jr.
COUNTRY: USA
RUNTIME: 101 min
RATING: 8/10
Bug Website/IMDB Click here
Bug Trailer Click here
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