Discovering Nightbitch: A Closer Look at Marielle Heller’s Latest Film

The Enigmatic Trailer and Expectations

Following a puzzling trailer for Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, audiences were unsure of what to expect. The actor-turned-director’s last 3 features, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and A Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood, garnered critical acclaim as softer, more personal films. Based on the trailer alone, Nightbitch did not appear to be in the same vein. Starring 2x Golden Globe winner and 6x Oscar nominee Amy Adams (Arrival, Enchanted) as a mother who struggles to navigate awkward encounters with other women — eating raw meat and running alongside dogs to the tune of Stevie Nicks’ Edge of Seventeen along the way — Nightbitch is the kind of black comedy that is bound to stir discourse.

The Cinematic Journey of Nightbitch

Now, Nightbitch does land considerably better than its confounding trailer, but that isn’t a very high bar to clear. Based on the satirical novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder, the movie follows a frustrated, stay-at-home mom of a toddler who believes she is turning into a dog. Hence, she jokingly refers to herself as “Nightbitch.” Writer-director Marielle Heller’s script straddles the line between satire, dark comedy, and magical realism. However, just like the book, it doesn’t merge those ideas quite as well as it wants to.

Exploring Motherhood in Nightbitch

Nightbitch is at its strongest when it explores the crossroads between the highs and lows of motherhood. Being a mother is a mess of contradictions, a continual push and pull between the desire for autonomy and the reality that a mother’s life is no longer her own. Nightbitch‘s narrative is propelled forward by this emotional discrepancy. Our protagonist’s frustrations feel almost palpable, largely thanks to Amy Adams’ dedicated performance. Adams nails the comedic airiness of the film’s satirical aspects while completely digging in when it’s time for Nightbitch to bear her claws.

Amy Adams in ‘Nightbitch’ courtesy of Searchlight Pictures

Amy Adams holds this movie together, elevating the material when it otherwise runs the risk of seeming trite. Most people will point to her commitment in surrendering herself to her Nightbitch moments, which include running with dogs, sniffing, and chowing down into a bowl without her hands. However, Adams’ ability to balance on the precipice of two conflicting emotions is what truly makes the performance impressive.

The Disconnected Magical-Realism Elements

You would hope that the magical-realism elements of Nightbitch would be what sets it apart from other dark comedies, or even satires, about motherhood. Unfortunately, they feel far removed from the beating heart of the film. Amy Adams’ dog activities never lapse into the visceral or commit to exploring larger themes about motherhood. They are part of her character, sure, and are introduced into the plot as if they should carry a degree of gravitas, but there’s a tension there that never resolves. When Adams’ Nightbitch is doing nothing dog-like, it has little bearing over the rest of the movie. It’s a blanket over the narrative rather than an essential framework. It seems like, if anything else, a side plot.