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Written by Tracy Letts based on her acclaimed Broadway play, BUG marks William Friedkin’s return to horror. Yes, this is THE Friedkin as in “The Exorcist.” Ashley Judd stars in this emotionally infested portrayal of Agnes, a down and out barmaid who calls a squalor of a motel room home. A victim of domestic violence, her beloved ex now safely behind bars, Agnes masks her pain and her past with alcohol and drugs, hiding in her own little roach motel.
Enter Peter. A drifter. Seems nice. Seems sweet. He gets under Agnes’ skin and she begins to open up and start to care about Peter, life and herself. But that bit of joy is short lived because it’s not long before that swell of a guy, ex-husband Jerry, rears his ugly head. Released on parole, Jerry reappears, vowing undying love and that he is a “changed man.”
But Jerry isn’t all that claims change. Peter goes through his own metamorphosis after seeing a bug in Agnes’ motel room - quite conveniently after one of their romantic interludes.
Needless to say, Ashley Judd is impeccable as Agnes. Broken, tormented and emotionally scarred, but with an innate core of inner strength, as I said before, no one does this type of character better than Judd. And while Michael Shannon is admirable as he reprises his stage role as the sweet but bizarre Peter, it is Harry Connick, Jr. that soars with his minimal screen time as Jerry.
Letts does a fine job of adapting her play for the screen. With multitextural characters, including the motel room itself, the story is so dementedly compelling so as to command repeated screenings. This is definitely a film I will buy on DVD to watch over and over and over again.
Lurking like a spider dangling from its web in the corner of the room, Friedkin envelops you and creates an almost claustrophobic fear. Low budget but with high production values, much of the credit for this achievement goes to cinematographer Michael Grady. I was notably impressed with Grady’s work in last year’s “Wonderland” and he once again more than lives up to the challenge presented with Letts’ screenplay and Friedkin’s interpretation.
Despite an unevenness to the story and the fact that it lends more to a psychological drama than horror, there is an overall darkness to BUG that shouldn’t be missed.
Agnes: Ashley Judd
Peter: Michael Shannon
Jerry: Harry Connick, Jr.
Directed by William Friedkin. Written by Tracy Letts. Rated R.
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