Movie Review: Bugs: A Trilogy (2018)
Bugs: A Trilogy is a feature-length horror anthology consisting of three stories written by Alexandra Grunberg, and directed by Simone Kisiel. The description on their crowdfunding page on Indiegogo simply said: “A new female-driven horror film about helplessness, paranoia, and the bugs who inspire us to scream.” We randomly happened across this project back in 2015 before our site was even up, and knew this was going to be special, and it is. As strong supporters of indie horror, and women in horror (as you may have seen in our recent #WomenInHorrorMonth posts) we are overjoyed at what this cast and crew have put together.
With a budget of just shy of $12,000 from their successful crowdfunding campaign and determination to make a quality film, they exceeded our expectations. The cast and crew are only about 20 or so people, but there is a wealth of talent in this small group, which is very apparent and important in the success of any indie film. Making smart choices in each department and maximizing the talent with the resources you have available is not something every indie film is great at. This one is.
The three stories all vary, and have a different feel, but also all share a lot of great qualities. Following each part of the anthology is a quote that nicely summarizes the previous story along with a uniquely disturbing visual representation of the bug from that story. This was something that we loved and leaves you wanting to shake off the heebie-jeebies after watching each story. It is an important aspect of this film in that it keeps the atmosphere going after the story ends, and leaves you right in that pocket of creepy for just a bit longer while you reflect.
The first of the three stories, “Hatchling”, is about a woman named Diane who is babysitting a boy named “Elliott” (Kobi Frumer) who thinks there is a monster in his room and refuses to go to sleep. “Parasite”, the second story, is about a woman named Hannah (Alexandra Grunberg) who is sick because of a different type of bug and finds that sometimes it’s best to listen to your doctor. The last of the three stories, “Bed Bugs”, is about a woman named Elena who is dealing with bed bugs. On the surface, these stories sound pretty straightforward, but in each one, there is also another underlying horror. It really is tough to say too much about any of them in detail, but what we can say is that the cast and crew pulled off something really special with the limited budget and people on-hand. The acting is solid, the writing was good, the cinematography was good, and this film had an outstanding sound, music and special effects departments. They definitely used the budget for this film wisely, and it shows.
Overall, Bugs: A Trilogy is a unique anthology and outstanding indie horror film that delivers delightful atmosphere, quality production, and an overall experience that will have you itching to see more from Magic Dog Productions. This film is a fantastic example of what dedication, imagination, and the right group of people can accomplish regardless of budget restrictions, and we highly recommend that all fans of horror, indie horror, and horror anthologies check this one out as soon as possible.
Bugs: A Trilogy will be premiering at a film festival (TBA) in October.
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