ben hibburd Bug is directed by William Friedkin. The film is written for the screen by Tracey Letts adapting her own stage play. The film tells the story of Agnes White(Ashley Judd), who is holed up In a motel room by her lonesomeness. That is until she makes acquaintance with a paranoid former army veteran Peter Evans(Michael Shannon).Bug is primarily an actors film. Friedkin doesn't try to be flashy with his direction. He's restraint and allows the camera to focus on the two central characters of the film. Both Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon deliver career best performances. They give everything they have to their characters, as both characters delve into paranoia induced insanity. The film wouldn't have worked if one actor was carrying the other but thankfully they both elevate each others performances.Where this film really shines though, is In the fantastic editing. This film is a stripped back, visceral piece of Cinema. It's a film that keeps building tension, scene after scene with raw Intensity. It holds absolutely nothing back, from the moment the two characters meet the film grips you and never lets go until the credits roll.Bug is a film that the average film-goer may struggle with, and for good reason, it's a nihilistic edge of the seat thriller, that deals with mental health Issues. It's a film that delves into the darkest recesses of the human mind, and keeps it's audience in an intense stasis for the duration of the film. It's the type of film that seldom gets made anymore, the closet film I can think of tonally would be David Cronenberg's Crash. Bug is an incredibly rewarding film, should you Invest your time in it. It's an under-seen hidden gem that is waiting to be discovered again.

PimpinAinttEasy Dear William Friedkin,I really enjoyed your last two feature films. I am so glad you decided to make movies about rednecks. I am sick of movies about regular people.Bug (which preceded Killer Joe) is another satisfying effort from you based in the redneck milieu. The film did enter the horror movie territory in the second half. And the play like quality sort of ruined the second half. The first half with the whole hard drinking drug abusing redneck life style was thoroughly entertaining.I do not normally enjoy films with play like qualities. But Bug was an interesting chronicle of what happens when two spiritually wounded people get together. I thought you were having a go at religious fanaticism.Ashley Judd was going great guns in the period the film came out. This must be one of her best performances. I am not a big fan of Michael Shannon, but he was terrific in some of the scenes. Harry Connick and Lynn Collins were remarkable in their supporting roles.Best Regards, Pimpin.(6/10)

Michael Radny This film starts off at a relatively slow pace, making it hard to stay focused for its majority of an hour. However, things do get more exciting as the film progresses, though the overall quality doesn't. Michael Shannon plays a realistic role, which proves to be fantastic, but the remaining character squander in this horrible limbo not worth mentioning. It turns out by the end that this film had some entertainment value in it but by that time it is too late.Bug is tediously on the line of good and shocking. However, it tends to lean on the shocking side of things. Mainly due to its overly boring start, the film doesn't lift to a reasonable height, which is a shame, because the final third of this film is quite something and unfortunate to have its first two acts in the way.

jlthornb51 One of the truly important, significant cinema accomplishments of the year 2006. William Friedkin has brought a masterpiece to the screen and given two fine actors the opportunity to give the performances of a lifetime. The always remarkable Michael Shannon is fantastic in his role as a troubled man who brings the woman he loves to the point of insanity. Ashley Judd is nothing less than stellar as that woman and shows a range of acting skills few can approach. Tracy Letts screenplay is brilliant and affords Friedkin the material through which his gifts as a director can really shine. As the two main characters dance in a follie a deux of extreme madness, it is almost impossible to take one's eyes of the screen. It is an overwhelming cinema experience of the kind which only comes along once in five years. A stunningly powerful film and absolutely unforgettable.