Bug (2006)

Director: William Friedkin

Writer: Tracy Letts

Tagline: First they send in their drone... then they find their queen.

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

Runtime: 1h. 42m.

Category: Psychological, Thriller

Synopsis: Agnes and her friend R.C. work at a local honky-tonk as waitresses. One night, R.C. brings Peter, a newcomer to the bar, back to Agnes’ house for some post-bar partying. R.C. gets a distressing phone call and ends up departing, leaving Peter and Agnes to become more acquainted. After some small talk, Agnes invites Peter to stay the night, because he has no where else to go. Nothing happens between them that night but the next night is no where near humdrum. After a good romp, Peter wakes up with bug bites on his arm, eventually capturing one in his fingers. Agnes does not see it right away but ends up becoming convinced of its existence. Soon both have become polluted with bugs and Agnes’ motel room/apartment has become the center of a massive infestation. But not even doctors can see these tiny little bugs Peter and Agnes claim to be crawling all over them. Is it all in their heads?

Review: I have been looking forward to this movie for many months now and finally got the chance to see it. My first impression was that if William Friedkin, directing such a masterpiece as The Exorcist (1973), was directing this movie is, by default, must be spectacular. With a brilliant leading lady like Ashley Judd…you can’t go wrong…or can you? I have apologized to my buddy Phil for the past seven hours for waking him up and convincing him to see this movie. Even though I knew nothing about the movie…he should have slapped the shit out of me! This movie was horrible!

The story was looser than a two-dollar hooker (in street terms it would be like throwing a hotdog down a hallway). A very impressionable, depressive woman meets a psychopathic, schizophrenic with delusional tendencies and become one another. She adapts his schizophrenia and his delusions of millions of bugs and becomes a strung out, paranoid, wannabe conspiracy theorist. That’s the frickin’ movie! Right there! He ends up explaining to her that he was a war vet who was experimented on and contracted these bugs from the military. Then, by some sort of schizo-magic, she deducts some kind of theory about how she is carrying the queen of the bugs because her son was kidnapped like ten years ago. I know it sounds ridiculous. It was! The rest of the movie is them twitching and screaming at one another…except for when Dr. Sweet shows up and tries to cut a deal with Agnes. Yeah…Pete doesn’t like that, and gives good ol’ Doc Sweet what for…with a funkin’ carving knife! Wow…sad.

The acting was the only thing I liked about this movie (apart from my cherry Icee). Ashley Judd gave an excellent performance, as well as Michael Shannon. Connick was in it for a bit, but his part was so minimal his acting, or lack thereof, didn’t even really seem to effect any of the story at all. The only purpose his character served was to personify Agnes’ fears and paranoia…as a wife beating ex-husband. But other than that…this movie sucked.

The gore was bad…just bad. There was not a single bit of notable gore in the entire movie. Even though they were both covered in scabs, it was just horrible. I wish I had more to say about this topic but I’m just drained.

Rating: 7. Yes, and I’m sorry Friedkin, but this movie was awful. The fact that the previews would dare state that this is supposed to be one of the most disturbing horror movies of all time is just blasphemy. I am ashamed for Friedkin and Lions Gate for turning out this piece of shit! And the fact that when Tracy Letts (writer) went to Loins Gate to pitch the movie, and they didn’t laugh in his face, makes me sad for the wide world of cinema. Does that mean that I can come up with a crappy slasher flick that’s a mix of The Toxic Avenger (1985), Death to Smoochy (2002), and some auspicious porno about an up incoming romance novelist with a sweet tooth for the phallic? NO…IT FUCKING DOESN’T! Friedkin…I’m disappointed in you. (7of25).

(6/13/07)

Update: I have spoken to the operator of UHM and received unsettling news. From what we understand, this movie was intended by its writer and director to be a drama…nothing more. Unfortunately, Lion’s Gate’s PR people didn’t get that memo. Thus, they advertised it as a horror movie; all the while, critics such as myself, hated it! Most horror movie reviewers did not like the movie because they were led to believe, like the rest of our populous, that this abomination was a horror flick. So there you go…if you are planning on seeing this movie…see it as a drama, NOT a horror movie. You just may have been spared over an hour and a half of disappointment.

Jonny Cage