Movies: Schlocky Horror Double Feature - "Bug" and "High Tension"

It's October, and that means a veritable onslaught of horror movies are coming down the pike. Unfortunately, I've seen a good chunk of the noteworthy horror movies out there, so finding something new and interesting occasionally turns into a scavenger hunt. Today, I'll be talking about two flicks that I saw back-to-back over the weekend that exhibit some interesting similarities - "Bug" and "High Tension":

BUG


Mention William Friedkin to a random passerby and you'll either get a blank stare or a "Hey, is that 'The Exorcist' guy?" for a response. Friedkin's been directing films for a long time, but his greatest hits came way back in the '70s, with both "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection" continuing to entertain nearly forty years after they first debuted. I'll venture to say that"Bug," Friedkin's latest movie, probably won't go down in cinema history, but it's decent:



"Bug" is a meditation on paranoia and loneliness, with a pitch-perfect performance from Michael Shannon, who also plays this part in the play that the film is adapted from. It's about a drifter who starts shacking up with a bar waitress in a cheap motel room, but then encounters mysterious insects that threaten both his body - and his mind.

A lot of the plot points are pretty obvious, but there's a funny intensity to the story that really makes the last half-hour or so an enjoyably manic romp. I really wish the beginning third of the movie was paced better, and the fact that this is an adaptation of a theatrical production means that the claustrophobia Friedkin brings to the screen feels somewhat trite and artificial.

Rating: 6/10


HIGH TENSION


After watching "Bug," we popped in "High Tension," a French slasher flick directed by Alexandre Aja (who would later go on to direct the remake of "The Hills Have Eyes"). It's a fairly typical genre film - a farmhouse in the country, a couple of young women, and a demented serial killer on the loose:



First off, there are some interesting moments of gore and violence here. If seeing someone's chest get cut apart with a circular saw sounds appealing to you in any way, than you might like some of the stuff that goes on in the movie. Without giving too much away, the killer has a distinct personality that really projects a malevolent glee.

The twists and turns of the plot though (especially the "Fight Club"-style ending) turn out to be unsatisfying in the extreme; the director eventually cheats the audience wholesale without much in the way of explanation. It's lazy filmmaking, and it does detract from the whole experience.

Rating: 4/10