On Film: Bug

There are times when I'm happy not to be in charge of marketing for films, especially with the truly innovative ones.  The truth is I wouldn't want to be in marketing for film in any scenario but when it comes to a film like Bug, I'm doubly happy not to have that job.



I've seen some bad reviews of this movie and I truly believe those reviews are due to the marketing of the film, but I don't have an answer to how to properly market it.  The film is being sold as an edge of your seat horror film, but it's not.  I saw this film in a giant movieplex and for the first half hour of the film I felt out of place.  It seemed like I should be watching the film in an art house theater.  Ashley Judd is phenomenal as a character and I could have loved the film without any horror elements at all.  She's so captivating that I found myself caring about her character and just interested in seeing what happens to her.  Often films such as this make a turn from character study to horror film.  There's no sudden turn in Bug, it happens gradually, a little at a time, and there's tons of foreshadowing handled subtly and a little more heavy handed during the first 45 minutes.



Bug is terrifying, but not in a predictable way, and not in a sudden jump sort of way.  In the 70's some of the best horror films were just as scary due to their sociopolitical commentary as they are for jumps and gore.  This film works in that same way.  When you start to think about situations in this film and consider the effects of the film and the commentary on everything from technology to the effects of war to the big brother scenario that seems so prevalent today it gets scary on a cerebral way that's very uncommon in domestic films and especially studio films.  In a way it's the perfect evolution from a film like the Exorcist.  Bug was made on a scant 4 million dollars and shot in a small room with only just a few characters creating a gritty, sweaty, isolated environment making the film almost documentary-like adding to the creeping intensity of it.  The film is gritty and the leads all get gritty with the film leading some fantastic performances with Ashley Judd being the standout but everyone doing some of the best work of their careers.  With this grittiness comes gritty language and situations so there's a surprising amount of nuditly in this.  The nudity doesn't feel gratuitous though, it truly plays into who and what these characters have become.



If you are looking for Final Destination or I know What You Did Last Summer type scare then don't buy a ticket for Bug, but if you want to see one of the smartest and most innovative films of any genre of the year go see this film.