Nightbitch

Marielle Heller's Nightbitch is a film that wears its metaphor on its sleeve, adapting Rachel Yoder's novel into an intimate, surreal meditation on the anxieties of motherhood. Amy Adams delivers a deeply committed performance, portraying a woman slowly morphing-psychologically and perhaps physically-into something wild. The film is honest, heartfelt, and full of intriguing ideas, but it never quite harnesses its own potential into something truly lasting.

At its best, Nightbitch captures the quiet desperation of a woman whose identity is dissolving into the routines of child-rearing. The film doesn't shy away from the frustration, isolation, and even the bodily transformation that can come with motherhood. The central premise-Adams' character believing she is turning into a dog-feels like a perfect vehicle for exploring these themes. The problem is that the film introduces a range of interesting ideas but rarely commits to them. It flirts with horror, dark comedy, and psychological drama, yet never fully sinks its teeth into any of them.

Visually, the film plays with an unsettling, dreamlike atmosphere, and the sound design heightens the tension in subtle ways. The moments where Nightbitch leans into its body horror elements are effective, but they feel restrained-almost as if the film is afraid to follow through on its own premise. Instead, it settles into a more symbolic and introspective tone, which works emotionally but leaves some of its most compelling aspects underexplored.

Amy Adams is undeniably the film's strongest asset. Her performance is raw and vulnerable, grounding the surreal elements in something deeply human. However, the narrative around her remains somewhat scattered. There's a sense that the film wants to say something profound about identity, femininity, and transformation, but it never fully lands on a clear or resonant thesis.

In the end, Nightbitch is a film that lingers in the mind but doesn't quite leave a lasting mark. It's compelling in moments, frustrating in others-always interesting, but rarely as sharp as it could be. It's worth watching for Adams' performance and its unique take on motherhood, but it ultimately feels like a howl that never reaches a full roar.

Adams is incredible in this role. It's different and some might find the metaphors frustrating. But the film has a strong point of view which mom's identify. There are some comedic moments but the film is not a comedy. As the story unfolds, some viewers may want to bail. But stick with it. It surprises and moves. But I'm a huge Adams fan so the powerful, meaningful and at times harrowing performance alone is worth the watch. The director takes chances and she should be recognized for taking on such a sensitive subject. It's rare look at the sacrifices of motherhood told in a unique, creative way with outstanding performances.

Amy Adams really does throw herself into this as mother to a young lad whom she looks after whilst her husband (Scoot McNairy) goes to work - frequently for many nights at a time. There's no suggestion of infidelity, but gradually she begins to feel the strains of this relentless young lad's activities. He rarely wants to sleep, is always full of beans and has a penchant for repeating the odd expletive at exactly the wrong time! It's when she starts to notice some unwanted bodily hair, then some seemingly enlarged incisors that she begins to worry if she isn't undergoing some sort of transformation. All of a sudden, dogs start to show a special interest in her and she and their youngster start to play doggy a great deal more... She also finds herself experiencing flash-backs of her own mother and of her erratic behaviour. Might it be something in the genes? It's Adams's performance that stands out here, otherwise it's a really disappointing attempt at an horror story that falls between a multitude of stools. The character - few actually have names - vacillates between adoring mother (and, occasionally, wife) and maniac entertainingly enough for a while but then it becomes repetitive to no end. Sure, she's exhausted with her childcare responsibilities but why is that different to any other parent (not necessarily a mother) when faced with a child keen to explore and prone to tantrums. The marital relationship is presented in an wholly skewed fashion as if poor old Scoot - who was missing large chunks of their son's development - was somehow in clover whist she sacrificed her life and career as the "home-maker". In the end, once the humour had subsided, I found this a rather dull rant of a movie that contrived to suggest that this was a woman unique amongst parents, and that motherhood was somehow more visceral than fatherhood. What horror elements there are are entirely undeveloped and by the end I was just a bit bored. I did like the exhibits in her gallery, though - ideal for the Christmas tree, and the young lad (I think there were twins) was the real star of the proceedings.

This film made me feel a lot of feels and I'm not even a mother, so I can't imagine how much it's going to mean to people who are.

Obviously Amy Adams is a force, and in addition the directing and cinematography is really beautiful. And pleasantly surprised by a few metaphysical and witchy vibes.

Interesting trend recently with this movie, and Your Monster, where a strange thing is happening as an allegory for female rage and repressed feelings. It's both empowering, but also kind of depressing. I hope ultimately it instills in more women to NEVER DIM YOURSELF, TELL PEOPLE WHO DESERVE IT TO F OFF, and "Insist on your joy" ♥

As a lifelong single male I'm out of my comfort zone to discuss this one! It's a rather fascinating, insightful (I think) and somewhat ruthless and startling look at early motherhood. However, while I'm sure some do, I don't get the canine gimmick, for lack of a better word. Not only do I not get it, I think it undermines the really fine parts of this which includes the writing for this loving, harsh and humorous look at a woman on the brink not really understanding all that would change in her world and her being after giving birth to her first child. However, gotta blame the the same writing team of Marielle Heller & Rachel Yoder for the canine analogy. While I don't think it her finest hour, Amy Adams is her usual excellent self in a tricky role that she conquers and it was nice to see Jessica Harper for the first time in a while, though the talented Scoot McNairy is wasted in an underwritten role. For me, much of this was a learning experience.