Somewhere between a love story and a conspiracy theorists' worst nightmare lies the remarkably creepy tale, "Bug," directed by William Friedkin ("The Exorcist"). Rarely can an American horror film sustain such suspense, peak so sharply when it matters and trade cheap scares for soul-wrenchingly horrific moments the way writer Tracy Letts' "Bug" does all of these.
Agnes (Ashley Judd) is a lonely woman living long-term in a shabby motel room. She works at a honky-tonk lesbian bar with friend R. C. (Lynn Collins), and spends her free time avoiding her abusive, just-out-of-jail ex while drinking large quantities of alcohol and sometimes doing drugs. Then she meets Peter (Michael Shannon), a quiet and somewhat eerie man with a demeanor somewhere between a space alien and lost puppy. He has nowhere to go after a night of partying with Agnes and R. C., and one night on Agnes' sofa turns into a twisted love affair with more complications than you can shake a stick at - especially if that stick is covered with aphids which, according to Peter, are "plant lice."
Soon, Agnes and Peter have a lot more than one stick's worth of aphids to contend with. Peter has a lot of secrets about his time in the military, an ability to "pick up things unapparent" and an unhealthy dose of paranoia. Agnes has an ex-husband (Harry Connick, Jr., surprisingly convincing as a low-life jerk) who won't stop showing up at the worst possible times, enough depression to take the "O-K" right out of Oklahoma (where the film takes place), and a surprising ability to love someone so completely despite all the loss she's experienced.
With a different cast, this film would not have worked nearly as well. Letts' work began as a play and takes place mostly in Agnes' motel room. Shannon (who also performed Peter in the play) and Judd are so raw, and portray their devastatingly desperate characters with such painful realism, it's nearly impossible to look away. And just when it seems like it can't get more intense, it does.
"Bug" - out now on DVD - is rated R for some strong violence, sexuality, nudity, language and drug use, but it's the suspense and the feelings experienced during the film that are most disturbing. This isn't a movie for everyone. "Bug" gets under your skin and creeps through your veins - not because of what someone sees, but because of what they experience.
Originally published in The Chronicle in October 2007.
My writing -- poetry, short stories, excerpts, vignettes -- is here because I'd like to share it with those who are interested. I always appreciate constructive criticism, but don't feel obligated to comment at all. If you don't like snarky reviews, blood, guts, description, sadness, intense imagery, journalism in a style fully inspired by The Good Doctor himself (Hunter S. Thompson), and frankness, you may want to pass this one by.
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