And therein lies one of the problems with ‘Bug’, William Friedkin’s (The Exorcist)

latest psychological offering: it does feel too much like a play. Sure, it does things no stage company could ever hope to do (like lighting an entire set on fire), but the film is still predominantly two people, standing and talking to one another for about two hours and no amount of exquisite camerawork can ever really break it free from itself. Like the first two ‘Harry Potter’ adaptations,  it helps to expand on the material, free it from its bonds.

    Luckily, however, what’s being said (and there is a lot of talking) is fascinating, on-point and just a little crazy. What starts as an innocuous meeting between two strangers eventually goes in directions both unbelievable and terrifying, not because of any shock factor, for there are few “boo” moments to be found, but because of the slow decay of the psyche’s of two people who are in desperate need of counseling...right?

    Agnes White (Ashley Judd) has been left behind. Her life is a spiral of depression, bi-sexual relations that go nowhere, heartache and loss. She lives in a tiny motel with only her past to keep her company. Whatever dreams and hopes she had vanished along with her son years ago. After one night of intense partying, a strange man, Peter (Michael Shannon, another member of the ‘Oh yeah, I’ve seen him before’ list), asks to stay. Reluctantly, Agnes agrees. She finds a kindred spirit in the soft spoken, asexual man that comforts her. She’s lonely and at the end of the day, just needs someone to talk to. Little does she know that he brings with him terrible secrets of government meddling, conspiracy and an intense case of paranoia that threatens the frail fabric of reality Agnes has created for herself.

    In a word, he brings bugs. A whole lot of them.

    Judd has made a career out of thrillers but for the first time, we actually get to see her act and influence the action rather than stand by on the wayside or simply react. Agnes’ past is as much a part of the proceedings in ‘Bug’ as anything a stranger brings into the room with him. There are no crimes to be solved (at least not directly), so she is simply one woman caught in a situation that escalates beyond rationality and it consumes her. I don’t know what course on the levels of paranoid dementia she took, but they stuck. She is instantly believable. The famous Judd breasts are seen in muted, not smoking hot glory and they’re actually more attractive, because it does not feel like useless T&A, but an extension of Agnes and necessary to the story. Not that her breasts need a reason to show up, but it certainly helps from time to time.

    Peter Evans is one of the more interesting characters to arrive on film this year. The word I would use is ‘enigma’. Like Agnes, he too has a horrendous past that comes out over the course of the film and Michael Shannon brings a subtle, menacing tone to the character that does not become apparent until far too late in the game. His theories about things, and knowledge of bugs, may sound crazy, but he delivers it with the quiet candor that really drives the point home. It is an excellent, soul-crushing performance that must have taken a heavy toll on Shannon.

    Friedkin, whose ‘The Exorcist’ is considered one of the greatest horror films of all time, utilizes all the tricks of the trade. Sound is amplified. The spinning of a ceiling fan takes on an eerie helicopter type noise. The ring of a phone is loud and desperate. He films everything close, confining the action to the small motel room, which is intricately detailed. The film has a muddy, disgusting color washed over it. Tin foil is used to create a unique set that is as unsettling as it is kind of cool. Most of all, his intent is not to answer, but rather to step back just slightly and let his characters destroy themselves in all manner of spectacular ways. Agnes and Peter believe someone is out to get them, and nothing in the film either confirms or denies this notion. While his protagonists are infected with bugs, Friedkin never zooms in or shows us what they’re obsessing about, further adding to the sleight of hand.

    Though it flounders in its second and third act (we get it: you’re both crazy), it’s a twisted little time at the movies for anyone looking for a very long escape from reality. It’s tense in ways standard horror films are not and has two extremely brutal scenes of spastic, explosive violence that sent everyone in the theater reeling. If you don’t like the dentist, be advised to look away. Everyone may not enjoy it, but you will certainly be talking about it long afterwards. Like a bug, it’s very hard to ignore.