# 3 - bug

Bug (2006)

Director:  William Friedkin

Actors:  Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Harry Connick Jr, Lynn Collins, and Brian F O’Byrne

Let me preface my review by saying that I am no Roger Ebert or Peter Travers.  I am not claiming to be a connoisseur of horror movies, nor am I suggesting that I am worthy of rating films for a renowned publication.   I’m simply a person who loves movies and who likes to write about “stuff”.  If you are not interested in scary movies or if you don’t like reading… then delete this immediately.

The movie is Bug.  I honestly cannot compare this film to any others, because it is truly unique.  While I personally think that’s a good thing, some may find Bug too “out there”.  Run-of-the-mill it is not, though, and I appreciate that.

First things first, William Friedkin directed Bug.  He also directed The Exorcist.  The Exorcist is THE best horror movie of all time.  Hence, by the transitive property, Bug should be amazing and groundbreaking.  But math f-d us again (I knew HS was pointless)… because this movie doesn’t even deserve to be uttered in the same sentence as The Exorcist, let alone considered equal. 

But hold your horses, Harry Connick Jr fans (because they are undoubtedly crazy and will probably nail me to a Will & Grace DVD for speaking up).  I did think this movie was interesting, and I will even admit that I liked it.  It is tense, disturbing, suspenseful, weird, and unbelievably claustrophobic.  I wouldn’t consider it a horror film, but a paranoia flick at its best.

Agnes White (Ashley Judd) is a lonely, substance-abusing honky-tonk waitress living in a trashy roadside motel (think Identity) on the barren highways of Oklahoma.  Jerry Goss (Harry Connick Jr) is Agnes’ estranged husband who was recently released from prison and is thought to be behind several “heavy-breathing-and-hang-up” phone calls.  And Peter Evans (Michael Shannon) is the quiet stranger that Agnes is randomly introduced to one night via her lesbian friend RC (Lynn Collins).

Agnes is desperate… for love, companionship, understanding, safety, belief.  So when she meets the submissive character that is Peter Evans, she is intrigued and hopeful… agreeing when he asks to spend the night.  The friendship turns to romance, which quickly turns to madness. 

Agnes’ hope and trust is tested when she is awoken by Peter in the middle of the night claiming that he found a bug in their bed, an aphid to be exact.  She doesn’t see or feel anything, but Peter is certain that there are more to follow.  She eventually succumbs to the “realization” that they are infested… by not one bug, but millions.  In fact, these are no ordinary bugs.  They were implanted in Peter’s body by the government when he was stationed in the Gulf, or so he says.  He was supposedly subjected to cruel, unusual, and inhumane testing and now “they are watching”.

Jerry and RC warn Agnes that Peter isn’t quite right, maybe even dangerous.  But she is caught in the dizzying spiral of infatuation.  She feels safe and wanted for the first time in years.  Peter and Agnes begin living in a duel paranoid delusion… they scratch themselves until they bleed trying to get the bugs out, they pull their own teeth with pliers (because that is where the government hid the egg sacks), and they turn their house into a tinfoil-covered crazy-den to avoid the aphids from transmitting their signal.

Their psychosis is almost mesmerizing, driven by exceptional performances by the lead actors.  This is definitely some of Judd’s best work.  Her monologue in the final act is shear panicky genius.  It is horrifying to watch her desperation coil out of control, and her breathless rant is proof that she has fallen off the deep end… and the water feels great.

Harry Connick Jr is fantastic too as the abusive white trash ex-hubby.  (Quite a stretch from Hope Floats and singing jazz tunes on American Idol).  I love him as a musician, and he’s got the acting chops to live up to all of his successes in the entertainment industry.  But Shannon is the stand-out of Bug.  His performance as the eccentric loner Peter is so good/creepy, it gives me goose bumps.  He says his story with such conviction and seems so innocent and jaded, that it’s easy to see how Agnes could fall into his fantasy.

This movie is not for all audiences.  It is rated R for graphic violence, sexuality, profanity, drug use, nudity, and everything else that is not appropriate for people who easily feel uncomfortable.  The acting and direction is worthy of a watch if you are up for a break from normality and reality.  It is lean and undemanding, allowing the audience to surrender to the paranoia without much effort.  The claustrophobia is palpable and matter-of-fact, the isolation pitiful.  At the core, Bug is a compelling character study that will certainly get under your skin.

Was Bug scary?  No

Jami’s Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Would I recommend this movie:  Yes