Bug

Skip the prestige-TV noise — Bug, in Australia on Hoopla, and in the US on Starz Apple TV Channel and Hoopla, is quietly one of the better ones. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. 632 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Watch it for Ashley Judd — one of the stronger performances out there right now. Available now on Hoopla — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Bug is worth clearing space for. Bug trusts its audience to sit with discomfort instead of resolving it too quickly. In Oklahoma, Agnes, a lonely waitress living in an isolated and dilapidated roadside motel, meets Peter, a quiet and mysterious man with whom she establishes a peculiar relationship. Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon lead a cast that treats the material with real seriousness. It hit screens in 2007. The performances in Bug do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Drama fans who appreciate slow-burn storytelling will feel right at home with Bug. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Ashley Judd's work here is the kind that gets referenced in career retrospectives. It makes everything else feel thin by comparison.

Bug was released in 2007, directed by William Friedkin. The full 98-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.