Bug

Bug is one of the most disturbing looks at mental illness ever committed to film. It is a warped psychological journey into paranoia and infestation that’s sure to leave you questioning every itch and tickle you feel for days. Agnes White (Ashley Judd) is a down-on-her-luck waitress living in a run-down motel in Middle America. When her best friend introduces Agnes to Peter (Michael Shannon), a shy yet charming drifter with a mysterious past, she’s immediately endeared by his quirks. Soon, these two damaged loners find comfort in one another’s company, growing closer as they deal with the re-appearance of Agnes’s ex-con/former husband Jerry (Harry Connick Jr.) and a pestilence of microscopic insects. Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon and Harry Connick Jr. all give incredible performances in this claustrophobic character study that contains only a handful of players and takes place almost entirely within the confines of a single motel room. Director William Friedken (The Exorcist, The French Connection) manages to keep the film visually interesting despite the limited location. Tracy Letts perfectly adapts his own stage play for the screen, ensuring that none of his original intent is lost in translation. TheBug disc contains only a few simple extras, including an in-depth interview with Friedken, a short "making of” documentary and the usual director commentary. Disappointingly there are no features that focus on the original stage production or discuss the film with Letts, which would have made the features actually "special.” Still, Bug is a must see DVD. The script, acting and directing work together seamlessly to create a creepy and captivating look at the darkest recesses of the human mind.