Directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist), ‘Bug’ is a psychological thriller which builds suspense strongly throughout, with Friedkin always displaying his fine talent as a director here. ‘Bug’ builds and builds, becoming darker, and increasingly more disturbing as the film progresses.
Agnes (Ashley Judd) is a lonely waitress that lives in a motel in Oklahoma. Her friend from work R.C. one night introduces her to a man named Peter (Michael Shannon), a troubled soul who used to be in the army. He spends the night sleeping on her sofa, and as time progresses these two trouble souls develop a rather interesting friendship. They have sex with each other once; it’s not a romantic relationship that they share though, but instead a rather bizarre connection on a pretty disturbing level. They both become convinced that there’s a bug infestation in the hotel room, and as time progresses they become more and more convinced of the existence of the bugs, and increasingly more paranoid about what it is that the bugs are doing in the motel room.
Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon gel well with one another here, and their supreme quality of acting really does stand out strongly. We spend much of the film with these two actors, and their success as actors here is therefore crucial to the overall outcome of the film. The way they speak to each other is certainly not conventional; the only conversation they share tends to be on the subject of bugs, they’re drawn to one another though, and the way they interact together is not just disturbing, but also incredibly interesting to watch and observe.
‘Bug’ is an odd film which focuses in on two seriously disturbed people; their increasingly fragile state of mind is brilliant to watch played out on screen, and never for a second is the film in the least bit boring. Friedkin directs the film beautifully here, and the intense nature of the film really does come across incredibly well.
Right from the word go there’s an inevitability here that the film is going to become incredibly dark, and this is something that makes the film or the more compelling. The film is forever building, and as it all progresses; Friedkin’s fine thriller certainly doesn’t disappoint.
‘Bug’ really draws you in, and the quality of acting is at all times absolutely sensational. It’s the acting that really stands out, and although the script and quality of directing is excellent here also; it’s really the connection between Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon that makes the film feel so real.
‘Bug’ is an incredibly high quality thriller, and a film that I’d most definitely recommend watching.
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UK based film graduate with a huge passion for music, sports and video games.
