Film Review: 'Bugs: A Trilogy'

Entomophobia refers to an intense fear of one or more types of insects, which is a fear that is shown in strong measure in this three-part horror anthology.

Babysitter Diane finds herself stuck babysitting the bratty and difficult Elliot (Kobi Frumer), Hannah does battle with an unexplainable and terrifying medical condition, and former dancer Elena finds herself afflicted with bites she believes to be caused by bed bugs—despite everyone around her trying to convince her it's all in her head. Bugs and the horror they carry with them are central to each woman's story, and each is in for a terrifying nightmare.

With only three stories and a runtime that only slightly clocks in over an hour, Bugs: A Trilogy cuts itself little time to waste, and for the most part, succeeds at developing its stories well in the time allotted for each. The film also boasts a unique technique when it comes to casting, as the film's writer Alexandra Grunberg is the lead star in each of the three stories. In the wrong hands, this tactic could spell disaster, but Grunberg proves herself up for the task, giving strong and empathetic performances in each of her three characters.

"Hatchling" is the first story of the film, which is helmed very well by Grunberg as she plays frustrated babysitter Diane. Diane and Kobi Frumer play well off each other in their dynamic, with Grunberg allowing for a sympathetic side to be maintained for Diane, even as she becomes increasingly harsh towards Elliot. With her attempts to be nice to her charge only being met with dismissal and bratty rejection by Elliot, Diane's frustration is palpable and understandable for anyone who has had to watch after a problem child. "Hatchling" also boasts a nice bit of misdirection regarding its plot, allowing for the ultimate twist ending to come as a genuine surprise.

Next up is "Parasite," where Grunberg shows the true depth of her ability in her performance of the timid Hannah; a role Grunberg played so vastly different from Diane that upon first watching this film, I genuinely believed a different actress was playing her. While "Parasite" contains the same combination of bug and body horror that made the story before it enjoyable, "Parasite" is memorable for containing the trilogy's strongest character development. Hannah starts her story socially awkward and unable to stand up to her dismissive and callous doctor (played with unhinged vigor by Marissa Carpio), with Grunberg expertly displaying Hannah's personality in her opening scene with Dr. Gillespie.

But as Hannah's health goes from bad to worse, Grunberg allows Hannah's anguish to spark a change within her. Not only will Hannah's agony strike a chord for anyone who has gone through similar experiences, but Hannah's transformation from a girl too shy to ask her own doctor questions to an unapologetically brazen young woman determined to find the answers to what's causing her ailment is a marvel to watch--especially for viewers (such as myself) who see themselves in Hannah. As such, Hannah stands out as the strongest protagonist ofthe trilogy, though this comes as the downside of having the ending for "Parasite" come off as an unsatisfying end to Hannah's arc.

(Also, wanted to give a quick shout-out to Malcolm Mills, who emotes extremely well in his silent role of a sick man Hannah encounters at her doctor's office, serving as foreshadowing to Hannah's experience)

Lastly, there's "Bed Bugs," and while the segment is far from unwatchable, it's definitely the weakest of the trilogy. First off is the fact that Elena is definitely the least distinctive of Grunberg's protagonists, coming off as just a bland version of Hannah (it's notable that, unlike with Diane, I could see instantly that Elena and Hannah's actors were one and the same). Secondly, while Grunberg's performance as Elena is just as strong as the other segments, Elena's arc proves to be the least interesting compared to the ones crafted for Diane and Hannah. SPOILER ALERT: Her parental issues and struggles with being taken seriously are hardly played with in a creative way (and in the latter case, is carried over from "Parasite"), and the story's ending revealing how Elena's bug bite experiences are indeed partially delusions on her part is not only heavily telegraphed, but also serves to quash what was looking to be a moment of character growth to cap off Elena's story. Spoilers Over.

"Bed Bugs" also contains a pair of less-than-stellar performances. Julia Beach's over-the-top performance as Elena's condescending mother sticks out like a sore thumb in comparison to the film's otherwise grounded performances, while most of Charlene Crick's screen time is dedicated to her overselling Lacy's "Sassy Black Friend" shtick—though Crick is able to make the most of Lacy's more grounded moments to show herself to be a well-meaning and supportive friend for Elena. As a whole, "Bed Bugs" feels like a story that was too rushed to be developed strongly, ending the trilogy on a disappointingly uneven note.

Take away the poorly executed conclusion and the unsatisfying ending to its middle story, however, and Bugs: A Trilogy is a solid little anthology horror that makes good use of its short length to pack strong storytelling and plenty of nightmare fuel into itself (as an arachnophobe, the spider B-roll footage present after "Hatchling" had me squirming). For a late night flick to watch in the dark, Bugs: A Trilogy will be sure to send chills down many a spine.

Score: 7 out of 10 question-filled flashcards.