'Nightbitch' TIFF review: Amy Adams transforms into a dog in wild tale about motherhood
Courtesy of Searchlight/TIFF
Motherhood is a real bitch in writer-director Marielle Heller’s semi-fantastical dark comedy “Nightbitch.” Maybe you already knew that or maybe you didn’t, but Heller, known for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” and the tearjerker “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” wants to say that it’s ok if you feel a little different after having a child. Much better than its initial trailer (or online trolls) would have you believe, “Nightbitch,” is a strange, off-the-cuff allegory about what it means to be a woman and, more importantly, what it means to let go of inhibitions. Some moviegoers might struggle to take the leap on the film’s premise, which is based on the novel by Rachel Yoder, but Amy Adams brings much needed heft to a film that might not be as put together without her in the driver's seat.
Adams plays the proverbial “Nightbitch” the title suggests, known only as Mother and who, by day, is an overworked, underappreciated stay-at-home mom and by night, stick with me, turns into a feral canine like a werewolf. How this happens and why are never really explained, though one could ascertain it’s all just a big metaphor about raising children on your own. It’s the culmination of all the stress and anxiety that, when you can no longer take on the toll of a caregiver, you’re prone to, well, transforming into a dog. I’m not a mother, but I have a feeling a-lot of them will relate with the feelings Adams’ nameless character expresses throughout the film. And she is fully committed to the ride.
As Mother, she has to play the role of supporting wife, a challenge considering she used to be a reputable artist whose work was displayed across the world. Now she has to pretend her life is happy, upbeat and enjoyable. And though she loves her son (played by twins Arleigh and Emmett Snowden - who are absolutely adorable) and husband (Scoot McNairy), she needs a break. And that break happens to be tapping into her primal instincts and, you know, hunting chipmunks at three o’clock in the morning.
Yes, it’s weird and bizarre, but these are the kind of heightened elements Heller enjoys tinkering with and when you give yourself to the story and what it says about the strength and resilience of women everywhere, it gets really intriguing. In one scene, where a group of moms are leaving a baby yoga class, they discuss how they should be seen as gods because they give life, and, frankly, they have a point. This is something a man can and will never experience.
Perhaps “Nightbitch” might take that metaphor to some quirky lengths, but in the context of the film, there’s plenty worth barking about, and confirms what we already knew: Women rule the world.
Grade: B
NIGHTBITCH world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Searchlight Pictures will release it in theaters this December.
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