Nightbitch is a 2024 American black comedy horror film written and directed by Marielle Heller, based on the 2021 novel by Rachel Yoder.[2] The film stars Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Snowden, Emmett Snowden, Mary Holland, Ella Thomas, Archana Rajan, and Jessica Harper.
Nightbitch premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, on September 7, 2024,[3] and was released theatrically in the United States by Searchlight Pictures on December 6, 2024.[4] The film received generally mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
An unnamed woman, referred to as Mother, has paused her career as an artist to become a stay-at-home mom for her two-year-old son. As she navigates the isolating and monotonous aspects of motherhood, she begins to experience surreal changes, leading her to believe she is transforming into a dog.
Initially dismissing these symptoms as stress-induced and possible early signs of menopause, Mother notices physical changes, such as patches of fur on her body, heightened senses, growth of a tail (initially believing to be a pilonidal cyst that she self-lances), and the sudden appearance of six more nipples. Combined with this are flashbacks of her childhood, having grown up in a Mennonite society that she escaped as an adult that showed frequent disappearances of her now-deceased mother. Her husband, frequently absent due to work, is skeptical of her experiences, leaving her to grapple with these transformations alone.
Seeking understanding, Mother connects with a group of local women who introduce her to a book about mythical transformations, reinforcing her belief in her metamorphosis. Embracing her new identity, she adopts increasingly canine behaviors, finding liberation from societal expectations and a reconnection with her artistic passions. She has her son play with dogs and is questioned by her husband as to why he's sleeping in a dog bed or eating out of a dog dish. Eventually, she and her husband agree to a trial separation, with the Father getting temporary custody of their son while she works on an art project.
The film culminates with Mother fully embracing her dual nature, balancing her roles as both caregiver and artist. Her husband and son eventually return, and a final flashback to her youth shows her being comforted by her mother and implying that her transformation into a dog is genetic and that she acquired the transformation from her mother. It also implies that her son also inherited the gene. The film ends with her giving birth to her second child, a daughter.
Cast
- Amy Adams as Mother
- Scoot McNairy as Husband
- Arleigh and Emmett Snowden as Son
- Zoë Chao as Jen
- Mary Holland as Miriam
- Ella Thomas as Naya
- Archana Rajan as Liz
- Jessica Harper as Norma
- Adrienne Rose White as Sally
- Roslyn Gentle as Nana
- Stacey Swift as Frieda
- Darius De La Cruz as Lemuel
Production
In July 2020, Annapurna Pictures acquired the film rights to the then-unpublished Nightbitch, written by Rachel Yoder, with Amy Adams attached to star and produce.[5] Stacy O'Neil of Adams' Bond Group Entertainment production company co-produced the film alongside Megan Ellison, Sue Naegle and Sammy Scher, while Yoder served as executive producer.[6] Can You Ever Forgive Me? filmmaker Marielle Heller connected with Yoder's novel and began to quietly develop the film alongside Adams during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7]
In March 2022, filming was scheduled to begin in the fall of that year.[8] In May, Searchlight Pictures acquired distribution rights from Annapurna for $25 million, winning out from five other bidders.[9] At this time, Heller's involvement was officially confirmed. Christina Oh, Adam Paulsen, and Heller had boarded the film as producers, while Scher moved to executive producer with Havilah Brewster.[10] In June 2022, Scoot McNairy joined the film.[11][12] Production was intended to begin in September 2022 in Los Angeles.[13] It began in October 2022, with the announcement that Ella Thomas had joined the cast.[14][15] In October 2022, Mary Holland joined the cast.[16] Zoë Chao was also confirmed to be in the cast.[17]
Release
Nightbitch was originally set to be released on Hulu,[18][19] but was later announced for a theatrical release by Searchlight Pictures for December 6, 2024.[20] It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2024.[21] Nightbitch was released on the streaming service Hulu on December 27, 2024.[22]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 59% of 192 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10. The website's consensus reads: "As far as adaptations go, Nightbitch packs more bark than bite as the stellar Amy Adams takes on motherhood and the neighborhood in a rather conventional romp."[23] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 56 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[24]
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