Bug (2006)

An unhinged war veteran holes up with a lonely woman in a spooky Oklahoma motel room. The line between reality and delusion is blurred as they discover a bug infestation.

Director:

William Friedkin

Writers:

Tracy Letts (screenplay), Tracy Letts (play)

Stars:

Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Harry Connick Jr.

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ashley Judd	...	Agnes White
Michael Shannon	...	Peter Evans
Harry Connick Jr.	...	Jerry Goss
Lynn Collins	...	R.C.
Brían F. O'Byrne	...	Dr. Sweet
Neil Bergeron	...	Man in Grocery Store
Bob Neill	...	Pizza Harris (voice)

Storyline

Having escaped her abusive ex-husband Goss, recently released from state prison, Agnes, a lonely waitress with a tragic past moves into a sleazy, rundown motel. Her lesbian co-worker R.C. introduces her to Peter, a peculiar, paranoiac drifter and they begin a tentative romance. However, things aren't always as they appear and Agnes is about to experience a claustrophobic nightmare reality as the bugs begin to arrive...

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Plot Keywords:

breast sucking | male frontal nudity | bare breasts | bug | motel | 

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Taglines:

Paranoia is contagious.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong violence, sexuality, nudity, language and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Lions Gate Films [United States]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 May 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bogárűző

Filming Locations:

Olancha, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,015,846, 27 May 2007, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$7,006,708, 17 June 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lions Gate Films, L.I.F.T. Production, DMK Mediafonds International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The entire script was shot in chronological order.

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Goofs

Near the end, when a pizza is delivered to Agnes and Peter, she takes some money and goes to the door : one can see she has a panties. A few minutes later, when they undress themselves, Agnes just removes her nightie : her panties has disappeared already (and she never removed it before that last scene).

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Quotes

[first lines]
[phone rings]
Agnes White: Hello? Hello?
[hangs up]
Agnes White: Bastard!

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Crazy Credits

There is a short scene after the first part of the credits, a telephone rings during the credits, and a brief shot after the credits end.

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Connections

References The Exorcist (1973)

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Soundtracks

Shake 'em Up and Let 'em Roll
(1992)
Written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
Performed by Jerry Leiber & The Coasters
Courtesy of Leiber/Stoller Productions, Inc.

User Reviews

A bad dream of a film

BUG is a creepy psychological horror yarn directed by William Friedkin, the man behind such '70s classics as THE EXORCIST and THE FRENCH CONNECTION. Is this film in the same league as those films of yester-year? Not by a long shot. While the premise has a great deal of promise behind it, by the end this is a huge disappointment, a film that sacrifices disturbing realism for over-the-top theatrics by the climax, which is a real shame.

Theatrics is appropriate, as in the end this turns out to be adapted from a stage play, as evinced by the single-room setting. The first half is quirky and unusual, as we watch the film wondering how it's going to turn out. It flirts with a lot of themes and genres, without ever being easily pigeon-holed into a single one. Is it a psychological study of madness? Is it a creature feature horror flick? Is it a study of domestic violence, a romance, a two-hander character piece? It's all of those, but by the end the intense script falls apart and ends up tackling over-the-top sci-fi themes and becoming somewhat laughable.

One thing that does keep you watching is the calibre of the acting, which is top dollar. Ashley Judd is a fine piece of casting as the put-upon, run-down heroine, and she lends this film a sense of gravitas that would have otherwise been missing. Michael Shannon is a scene-stealer, his quirky, paranoid war veteran one of the most charming performances I've seen in the past few years, and there's a neat extended cameo from Harry Connick Jr, too.

The film has plenty of strong moments, a few bits of nasty violence, and a rather silly climax. It all mixes together into a rather unsatisfactory brew by the end, but hey, at least it's different.