Bug

Scientist James Parmiter arrives at a country parish with his wife, Carrie, for a church sermon. This moment sets the stage for a series of catastrophic events that will unfold shortly after their arrival.

During the sermon, a major earthquake hits the region, nearly destroying the chapel where the parishioners have gathered. Fortunately, despite the chaos, no one is killed in the aftermath of the quake.

In the confusion following the earthquake, Carrie calls James from a payphone to inform him of her situation. Unbeknownst to her, this detour results in her missing the ride home with Henry Tacker and his son, Kenny.

As Henry and Kenny approach the Tacker farm, their pickup truck inexplicably explodes in flames. This horrifying event is witnessed by young Norma Tacker, leaving her traumatized by the loss of her father and brother.

Back at Norma's home, she is retrieved from her vigil by her boyfriend, Gerald Metbaum. Later, while investigating strange noises outside, Gerald discovers large, incendiary cockroaches near the fault line created by the earthquake.

Gerald visits his former professor, James Parmiter, to discuss his unsettling discovery of cockroaches that can create fire. James is skeptical and argues that such creatures do not exist until Gerald shows him evidence of the dead cat killed by a cockroach.

As cockroaches become more numerous, fires emerge throughout the town. Alarmed, James attempts to warn the local mayor about the dangerous insects but finds him unavailable to hear his urgent plea.

James and Gerald head to Tacker Farm where they observe the cockroaches' ability to produce fire through friction. This shocking discovery raises serious concerns about the insects' impact on the community following the earthquake.

At home, Carrie is unknowingly disrupted by a cockroach clinging to a birthday cake she has just brought inside. The insect ignites her hair, leading to a tragic series of events that change the course of the story.

In a desperate attempt to learn more, James captures a surviving cockroach and places it in a pressure tank alongside a regular cockroach. This leads to an unexpected breeding event that overlooks the dangers at hand.

Days pass, and James finds that the cockroaches reproduce at an alarming rate. He begins to realize that the creatures possess unique abilities and a coordinated behavior that astonishes him.

James observes the cockroaches forming patterns and begins to suspect they have the ability to communicate. One night, they arrange themselves to spell out 'We live,' revealing their growing intelligence.

When Sylvia visits James to deliver Carrie’s cherished Bible, she discovers his house overrun with cockroaches. In a horrific turn, she becomes a victim of the lethal insects, ensuring their terrifying evolution continues.

As the cockroaches gain unprecedented power and even develop the ability to fly, James faces a life-or-death struggle. Overwhelmed, he falls into the fault line as the chaos of the cockroaches results in a fiery destruction of his home.

In the end, James and the cockroaches plunge into the Earth as the fault closes, once again trapping the insects below. This final act leaves the town to ponder the unseen horrors that lurked beneath their feet, hidden for ages.