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NIGHTBITCH

USA | 2024 | 98m | English

Cast: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowdon, Emmett James Snowdon, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan, Jessica Harper

Director(s): Marielle Heller

An overworked stay-at-home mom (Amy Adams) tries to catch a break, any break, while caring for her rambunctious toddler. Also, she might be turning into a dog.

NIGHTBITCH

Courtesy of TIFF

TIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS
DATE: NOVEMBER 27, 2024
RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Nightbitch is an entertaining and honest exploration of the struggles of parenthood featuring another excellent performance from Amy Adams, that when combined by Marielle Heller’s darkly funny screenplay and insightful direction, results in one moving and ambitious film that is far more meaningful than the title suggests.


When your film is called Nightbitch and features Amy Adams portraying a mother who is turning into a dog, you immediately have audiences’ attention. It is a bizarre premise, and with that viral walnut line from the trailer, you have a certain expectation regarding what the film is going to be about. And while writer and director Marielle Heller delivers that wildness in her adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s novel, what she and star Amy Adams craft is a far more caring exploration of motherhood, parenting and communication that merely uses the magical realism of Adams’ unnamed character turning into a canine as a vessel for the deeper ideas at play. 


Magical realism can be tricky to depict on screen as you have to capture the fantastical while grounding it in human emotion, but Heller does so effortlessly both adapting Yoder’s novel as the film’s screenwriter and as the director. Playing with themes of motherhood, parenthood and the changes that come with it, Heller captures the nuances of both the caregiver and breadwinner roles in the family, exploring the breakdown of communication between the two parents that leads to Adams’s character’s resentment and Scoot McNairy’s feeling of missing out on raising his son and being stuck in the corporate grind. Using Adams’ character’s inner dialogue to narrate the film, Heller is able to translate the frustration of the film’s central character and make her sympathetic to the audience. While the film is prominently told from the perspective of Adams’s character, Heller ensures that McNairy’s father is never a villain or cartoonish figure that is indifferent to his wife’s situation, but instead creates sympathy for both him and his wife with their contrasting positions and feelings.


Equally as prominent is the magical realism of Adams’ character thinking she is turning into a dog, with her chasing after animals, growing a tail, heightened senses and erratic tendencies, helping to deliver many of the film’s comedic moments as well as personifying Adams’ character’s struggle. Using real dogs to help create these moments rather than CGI, it adds a level of excitement to Adams’s moments of running with the dogs down the street or in the park, helping to build the absurdity of the film’s premise. But to many viewers’ surprise, the film’s narrative is very relatable and will undoubtedly speak to viewers and help encourage young parents to keep open communication about their feelings to prevent getting to the situation that the parents in the film find themselves in.


As with all of her performances, Adams never fails to deliver anything short of excellence and proves herself one of the most talented actresses working today, and Nightbitch is no exception. As the unnamed mother, Adam’s captures both the love she has for her young son and the tiredness and defeat she feels as a mother. Giving up her career and adult life, she feels trapped in the confines of her daily routine and resentful towards her husband who leaves everyday for work and does not understand what she has given up. Not only does Adams capture the whirlwind of emotions within her character with a raw vulnerability and authenticity as a mother herself, but she leans into the absurdity of the film’s premise and unleashes her inner canine. From gross eating habits, chasing after dogs, and a ferocious attitude, Adams embraces the magical realism elements of the screenplay to deliver some truly outrageous and hilarious moments. While I don’t think we’ll be hearing the phrase “Oscar nominee Amy Adams for Nightbitch” come January, it’s a brilliant performance nonetheless that could rightfully snag her a Golden Globe nomination in the comedy category. 


While Adams is the centrepiece of the film, she is supported by some great performances. McNairy is brilliant as the husband, capturing his uninformed ignorance to his wife’s struggle due to their breakdown in communication with a true caring, while processing his own character’s struggles as he feels disconnected from his family having to leave everyday for work. McNairy and Adams make a wonderful pairing as this young married couple struggling to find their new rhythm with a young son and new roles in life, sharing a great connection on screen that embodies the ideas of Heller’s screenplay and the challenges of their relationship. Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, and Archana Rajan are fun as the Book Babies mothers and provide some great comedic moments to the film, but the scene stealers are young Arleigh and Emmett Snowden, the young twins playing Adams’ son. It’s hard to steal the scene from Adams, but not only do Arleigh and Emmett do so with their active energy and cuteness, the bond they develop with Adams is truly special and helps to build a loving mother-son relationship thanks to their endless playful nature, which only helps to heighten the conflict within Adam’s character. 


Equally as outrageous as it is touching, there is truly no other film like Nightbitch that you will see this year. From the insightful and emotionally intelligent writing and direction of Marielle Heller, this darkly funny exploration of the trial and tribulations of motherhood not only weaves a touching story with relatable themes for viewers, but also features something they have never seen before from Amy Adams: watching her become a dog in front of their eyes. With outstanding performances from both Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy that capture the joys and challenges of parenthood and everything that comes with it, and featuring all the outrageous moments of Amy Adams becoming a dog that viewers could want, Nightbitch is far more endearing and profound than just the absurd moments that viewers will be seeking out Marielle Heller’s latest film for.


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