Bug (2006)

Sadly Over-hyped

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This was definitely better than I originally suspected it to be. Granted the acting is not the best acting ever seen in a horror film, the lead actors were believable and intriguing.What this film has over a lot of the recent horror flicks is that instead of relying on cheap jump scares and cliché scare tactics, Bug focuses on the slow build on tension and the foreboding/growing sense of insanity. It does this very well. When I watched this film, I knew that something truly messed up would result by the end of the movie. But I didn't expect what it would be. Overall this movie creeped me out, intrigued me, and at the end had me questioning what I just witnessed. Therefore, it succeeded in being a horror film.

One of the truly important, significant cinema accomplishments of the year 2006. William Friedkin has brought a masterpiece to the screen and given two fine actors the opportunity to give the performances of a lifetime. The always remarkable Michael Shannon is fantastic in his role as a troubled man who brings the woman he loves to the point of insanity. Ashley Judd is nothing less than stellar as that woman and shows a range of acting skills few can approach. Tracy Letts screenplay is brilliant and affords Friedkin the material through which his gifts as a director can really shine. As the two main characters dance in a follie a deux of extreme madness, it is almost impossible to take one's eyes of the screen. It is an overwhelming cinema experience of the kind which only comes along once in five years. A stunningly powerful film and absolutely unforgettable.

There's not many films out there like Bug. The film, based on Tracy Lett's play, is so unrelenting in its own vision and ideas that it will probably turn most people off because it refuses to pander. This isn't necessarily a good thing for most people; it's hard going, but in the end it's pretty unforgettable whether you liked it or not.The plot is fairly simple: Lonely single woman, Agnes, takes a paranoid young man into her house, and together they both go slightly (completely) nuts. That's a compressed version but it's still a very simple story, the perfect jumping point into the madness that follows. Special mention must go to the performances. Shannon is fantastic as the completely insane Peter, but Judd is pretty much flawless and is a total revelation. Who knew she had it in her to do this kind of work? I certainly didn't. Her performance is terrifying, sad, and enthralling, and that it didn't get more recognition is beyond me.The final third or so of the film follow the characters into total madness, and it's scary, gripping stuff. Very few films commit to what they're doing the way this one does, and even fewer follow the plot to it's inevitable conclusion in such ballsy fashion. It's bound to ruffle a few feathers but in my opinion it's a masterpiece.

Spoiler alert.Most people believe the two main characters (Agnes and Jerry) end up being totally delusional and schizophrenic. Still others think the ending is open-ended, with them totally going nuts and them dealing with reality both possible.But certain details reveal that in the story the conspiracy is real and that Agnes and Jerry sacrifice themselves in order to save the humanity. It's a sci-fi story hidden beneath a psychological thriller veil. Most of the reviews only scratch on the surface. I have yet to see anyone pointing out these subtly revealing details: For one, there's that helicopter noise. Throughout the story, it can be construed as one of their delusions. However in the end after they kill themselves and credit already rolls up, here comes again the chopper noise. It can no longer be explained by delusions since both main characters are now dead. It's an extremely subtle way to suggest that the helicopter is real, which then in turn suggests that the conspiracy is real too.For two, there's that doctor/consultant. The telling moment is when Peter points a huge knife at his chest. Boy that knife is huge. And Peter by then looks crazy as hell. But the doctor doesn't even flinch! Is he for real? All he is trying to do is to give Peter a shot. So what you have is someone totally focused on his mission, without any consideration of his own safety. That's like a what? A suicide bomber, no less. To a certain degree that doctor is like Tim McVeigh or John Doe #2 mentioned before. So there you have it, another mind-controlled subject, one of those Peter described in his conspiracy theory.For three, the bugs are never shown in the film. It doesn't mean they don't exist. Both Peter and Agnes see them under the microscope. R.C. and Jerry look through the microscope but deny that they see the bugs. It's possible that they don't see anything. But it's equally possible that, as Peter and Agnes figure out later, they are both in on the conspiracy.All in all this is an extremely well made story and film. It's so cerebral that not a whole lot of people can fully appreciate it. It's also one of very few movies that touch on some of the major conspiracy theories that are fascinating subjects in and of themselves.