BUG (2006)

TITLE
Bug

STARRING
Ashley Judd, Harry Connick, Jr., Michael Shannon

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
The box doesn't actually tell you much about anything. I've listened to many reviews on this movie and watched carefully to see what genre it ended up in - popular notion says horror or sci-fi. I'm frankly not sure it is either. At its core, Bug is a movie about a broken woman (Judd) whose down and out on life and through happenstance meets a tortured and psychologically disturbed man (Shannon). Things begin to break down upon the return of Judd's paroled husband (Connick, Jr.) who symbolizes a larger disturbance in their newly formed relationship. Convinced he was somewhat of a human lab rat used by the military for experiments of the insect variety, Shannon breaks into delusional paranoia and takes with him the sanity of his cohabitant.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
The performances are excellent and I can tell this movie was written by an extremely creative individual, one whom I could only probably talk to a handful of times without being creeped out by. I'm uncertain if I could sit down and watch this movie again. To give it an honest review, I could categorically describe this as a drama. It's kind of melting pot for conspiracy theories, mental instability, and counterculture themes. Bug looks cool but the last fifteen minutes are pure hell, and if that was the goal -it was achieved. You're almost certain it will be or could be about anything - except what it eventually delivers. Unfortunately, this is not a film that leaves you feeling as if you understand anything more clearly when the credits roll than you did at the close of the first act.

There's a line in the sand you draw between truth and perception, Bug blurs that line completely. This is the most intentionally ambiguous review I've ever written, but if I were to say I liked or disliked this film because of _________, it would most certainly be a lie, as I am still perplexed.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Hard to say......don't rent it for Connick, Jr., he gets about fifteen minutes of screen time.

SPECIAL FEATURES
I perused these for clarity, I found little if any. If you are an instant fan of the film - you will love these.

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