Rated R for some strong violence, sexuality, nudity, language and drug use.
Directed by William Friedkin (The Exorcist, To Live and Die in LA,
The Guardian, …)
Staring Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Harry Connick Jr.)
I rented this for one reason: it was directed by William Friedkin. William knows film.
Apparently William has forgotten how to judge a good screenplay.
Bug is based off the play about a lonely and vulnerable Oklahoma woman (Judd) who falls for a man who is convinced that bugs are burrowing into his skin— and not just normal bugs—bugs created by the government in a conspiracy to take over the world.
Huh?
Yeah… that’s what I thought.
I didn’t know the premise going into the film (or I probably would have skipped it) and I was actually intrigued for the first “act.” Judd was convincing as the trailer trash desperate and confused Oklahoma girl and a muscular Harry Connick practically reprised his creepy role that we saw way back in Copycat. But then we met “bug man” and the film went into a downward spiral.
Some people are raving about this piece of art.
Wow.
Skip this one.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Nope. First, they’d be bored stiff. Secondly, the content is way too mature and depressing. Plus, Ashley has an obsession with taking her clothes off in films and she found a way to do it twice in this script as well.
Side Note:
As said above, we don’t recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
