Review of Bug (2002) by Zack B — 09 Nov 2012

Tracy Letts is a mad genius. I've never seen any of his plays performed, but I have now seen two of them adapted by William Friedkin, and I must say, their two collaborations are among the best in cinema.

I think Bug, though, is a much better film than Killer Joe. The performances by Michael Shannon and Ashley Judd are unthinkably natural and disturbing. Their union of paranoia is terrifying and it makes for an unsettlingly and persistently horrific film experience.

The film itself is just as the bugs are in the story: it gets under the skin and seems to take root there. It will be hard to forget this film. I just loved the pacing of it and the steady rise in tension.

It's amazing.