MOVIE OF THE WEEK December 2, 2024: NIGHTBITCH
A woman struggling fiercely with the never-ending demands of modern motherhood dares to think — and say — some of the quiet parts out loud in writer/director Marielle Heller‘s thought-provoking Nightbitch. Part satire, part surreal fantasy, and part family drama, it’s bound to resonate with any woman who’s ever found herself wondering “is this really it?” while reading yet another board book or making her umpteenth pot of mac and cheese.
Based on the same-named novel by Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch never gives its main character a name other than “mother,” but star Amy Adams plays her with extraordinary realism. There’s no glamour in her messy buns, make-up free face, or shapeless (but comfortable!) clothing. But there’s plenty of painful recognition in the mind-numbing repetition of her days as the loving-but-increasingly-impatient stay-at-home mother of an adorable tow-headed toddler (played by twins Arleigh and Emmett Snowden). She can’t help regretting giving up her career as an avant-garde artist, especially when she and her son are home alone for days on end while her husband (Scoot McNairy) travels for work.
The mother expresses her frustrations both in internal monologues and in unflinchingly honest rants to some of the other moms she meets at the park and library storytime. And as she reflects on both her own situation and life with her mother and grandmother when she herself was a child, her self-doubt fuels a righteous anger at the social structures that lead to mothers feeling isolated, powerless, and desperate to break free. To say more about where the story goes from there would ruin its clever twists, but it certainly carries a powerful metaphoric punch.
Heller and Adams — both mothers themselves — are clearly working out some very personal feelings in Nightbitch, and that’s a big part of the reason it’s likely to strike a chord with other women. Adams’ character loves her son with every bit of herself (and he’s so sweet that you never doubt that for a second, even when he wreaks toddler havoc), but she doesn’t love the life she’s been living since his birth. And as she gives voice to her disappointment under Heller’s careful direction, she speaks a truth that can be hard to acknowledge but needs to be heard/ — Betsy Bozdech
Team #MOTW’s comments:
Pam Grady: Mother (Amy Adams) chose to stay home with her young son. She clearly adores him as she takes him down the street to watch the garbage man make his roundS or to the library to socialize with other tots and their moms. But she gave up a flourishing career as an artist to raise her child and the cracks are beginning to show, especially with her husband (Scoot McNairy) so frequently gone for business. In Marielle Heller’s droll black comedy blending body horror with domestic melodrama, Mother answers a kind of call of the wild, represented by three dogs that impose themselves into her life and her suddenly out of control body hair. But it goes farther than that as she begins playing doggie with her child, an immersive exercise that includes eating out of dog bowls and as Mother confronts changes that go far beyond luxuriant chin hair. The question lingering over her is whether this SAHM is cracking up or in chrysalis mode on her way to the next stage in her personal evolution. Adams, six times nominated for an Oscar win no wins, might just capture the prize at long last for her bravura performance.
Nell Minow: Is she really a dog? Or is it just a manifestation of the ferocity she has pushed down for so long it has to come out, well, fiercely! Marielle Heller’s adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s book is a provocative take on the life of a mother so consumed by her constricted life that she doesn’t even have a name anymore. She’s just listed in the credits as “mother.” Amy Adams never lets us forget about her passionate need to express her voice, even as her character might. I’d love to be in the cars on the way home from the theater to hear some of the couples conversations provoked (in every sense of the word) by the film.
Sherin Nicole What happens when a woman goes feral? A trippy, surrealist excavation of motherhood based on the 2022 novel by Rachel Yoder. The premise of Nightbitch is unusual for sure, but it is a poetic metaphor. Mother (Amy Adams) is so starved for freedom that she becomes a dog. Through that, writer/director Marielle Heller creates a sharper incision than similar themes of motherhood helmed by men. Here, there is an understanding; to become the best mother, a woman must be entirely herself. Moms cannot teach their children to live fully if they do not possess some understanding of what it is to be fulfilled. Mother reshapes herself, leading her pack of women (Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan) to see themselves as something more than “mom” and only that. One of my favorite scenes finds the four friends drinking wine and confessing how very ferocious they are. In transforming into an animal, Mother finds her place, running with other dogs who have broken out and chosen the wild. Yet, through her walk on the wild side—fur on her skin, the blood of a fresh kill between her teeth—she discovers what it is to be human, woman, mother, free.
Leslie Combemale I wanted to crawl out of my own skin not 10 minutes into Nightbitch, but that’s not a bad thing. There are too few films in which women’s bodily autonomy and self actualization are highlighted in a way where we are asked to confront them for ourselves. Amy Adams is exceptional as Mother, and while there is some ground already covered, Marielle Heller brings new urgency to the question of whether where we are now, as women who are simultaneously career professionals and creating families, are happier, or just asked to do ever more and more. Having the lead male character in the film represented not as a villain, but as someone who genuinely wants to be part of the solution rather than the problem, adds layering and deeper context to the story. This is a must-see, especially as awards season is in full swing.
Jennifer Merin Written and directed by Marielle Heller. Nightbitch stars Amy Adams, who proves that her bite is as bad as her bark. No spoilers here, but this is the ultimate escape fantasy for overstressed and under appreciated wives and moms. Heller’s scripting and Adams’ performance make it easy for any woman with a demanding family — or any other more than fulltime career — to growl in concert.
Loren King Amy Adams’s riveting and relatable presence, in fact, sometimes outshines the film itself although director Marielle Heller crafts a skillful adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s dark satire of the same delicious title. Heller’s version has more humor and less graphic horror in the story of Mother who gave up her career as an artist to move from Manhattan to the suburbs and stay home with her toddler. She’s now sinking under the day-to-day demands of the two year old, despite his being adorable and how much she clearly loves him. Husband (Scoot McNairy) is absent for work most of the time and when he returns to happy shrieks of “Daddy!” he just doesn’t get what the big deal is; he’d love to trade places and stay home — if he didn’t make so much money. The implication, of course, is that not only are domestic and child-rearing chores undervalued and disrespected, so it the work of an artist. Read full review.
Sandie Angulo Chen: Writer-director Marielle Heller’s adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s provocative 2021 novel Nightbitch explores universal themes of early motherhood, women’s labor, and primal instincts. Amy Adams delivers one of the most striking performances of her career in this dark comedy, offering a poignant reflection on the disproportionate emotional burden carried by women and mothers in the domestic sphere.
Liz Whittemore Nightbitch delves into the multifaceted job of motherhood. It’s the highest highs, lowest lows, exhaustion no man has ever known, embroiling rage, relentless guilt, and primal fire. In her extraordinary, unfiltered confessional screenplay, filmmaker Marielle Heller delivers a relatable story that is equal parts knee-slapper and eulogy for your past self. Amy Adams perfectly conveys every emotion without shame. She wades through the gaslighting and fake smiling as she spirals into the reality of a default parent. Her voice-over and real-time narration nail my inner (and outer) monologue. Adams honors the mess like a fearless goddess. Nightbitch is surprisingly visceral. The score is a quiet mix of melancholy and alarm bell, elevating the moments of magical realism. Heller creates exquisite stage play moments with augmented sound editing and intimate close-ups. Speaking of editing, Anne McCabe captures the monotonous groundhog’s day effect of a stay-at-home Mom. The film examines mythical traditions and the cyclical nature of motherhood. It also tackles the never ending transformation of women’s bodies. Nightbitch is the internal monologue and fantasy of a child bearer. It unapologetically celebrates the feral instincts of womanhood. It shirks civility, permits audiences to embrace the chaos, and frees us from patriarchal norms. Nightbitch is a poetic and honest portrait of motherhood. It is a wild, unexpected reclamation of power.
Cate Marquis If you like cats, or even if you are fond of animals generally, you might want to skip Nightbitch. If you were upset by the accidental death of a beloved donkey in THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, there is far worse in store in this film, written and directed by Marielle Heller. Actually, Nightbitch starts out as a probing drama about a stay-at-home mother (Amy Adams) of a toddler feeling the strain of motherhood, in a welcome frank examination of the rarely mentioned difficulties of real motherhood day-to-day (although women who raised children as working mothers or single parents likely will find Amy Adams’ character pretty whiny about a situation many would find the best case scenario). But while the film begins well, things go off the rails and the film loses the thread when the mom starts fantasizing about becoming a feral dog, running the streets in wild, responsibility-free abandon. Or perhaps she really is transforming into a wild dog. While mom indulges in this canine fantasy of escaping responsibility, it is the unloved, neglected family pet cat that pays the price. But that unpleasantness is followed by more disturbing behavior, presumably intended as somehow redemptive, but rather gruesome instead. However, it’s likely that cat haters, and those who find pets too burdensome, will love it.
FILM DETAILS:
Title: Nightbitch
Director: Marielle Heller
Release Date: December 6, 2024
Running Time: 98 minutes
Language: English
Screenwriter: Marielle Heller, Rachel Yoder
Lead Performers: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy
Distribution Company: Searchlight Pictures
AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Pam Grady, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Sherin Nicole, Liz Whittemore
Other Movies Opening This Week
Edited by Jennifer Merin
