Bug

Bug was marketed—rather misleadingly—as a horror movie, playing up the genre credentials of director William Friedkin, but it's actually more of a psychological thriller. Adapted by Tracy Letts from his own play, the story largely unfolds in one room of a ramshackle residential motel. Perpetually depressed barmaid Agnes White (Ashley Judd), unnerved by the local return of her abusive former boyfriend, ex-con Jerry Goss (Harry Connick Jr.), takes solace in drugs and drink. An enigmatic young drifter named Peter (Michael Shannon, reprising his stage role), introduced to Agnes by a coworker, moves in with Agnes and convinces her that the room has been infested with aphids—bugs that suck juice out of plants—which feed on the pair's blood while they sleep, leading to a spiral of paranoia with deadly consequences. While Friedkin and Letts create a menacing atmosphere, many questions are left unanswered (deliberately, as it turns out) and a key structural problem undermines the plot: why does the despondent but otherwise stable Agnes so readily accept as gospel truth the clearly delusional rants of a stranger? A victim of its own ambition, the well-acted Bug pulls a bait-and-switch by promising low-road chills but delivering a more cerebral type of horror that will leave viewers more puzzled than scared. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director William Friedkin, “A Discussion with William Friedkin” (28 min.), “Bug: An Introduction” production featurette (12 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an uneven film.] (E. Hulse)