London Film Festival 2024 – Nightbitch ★★★★

Released: 6th December 2024

Director: Marielle Heller

Starring: Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy

Motherhood is that ideology that from a young age we are expected to want. Some chose not too, sadly due to personal issues some can’t and a lot chose to go down the road of having children. The thing with adulthood is that there is no instruction book on the do’s or don’ts, or even hints and tips. As a childless 27 year old, it’s hard to discuss the reality of having children. But from hearing about friends and relatives experiencing it, most of the time it’s about winging it and somehow it will all fall into place naturally. Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch is all about the navigation of having a child for the first time and the adjustment to how life drastically changes.

An adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s 2021 novel of the same name, the film stars Amy Adams as an unnamed Mother who previously worked as an artist before becoming a stay at home mum. Life seems chaotic for Mother as she juggles messy meal times, baby book clubs and the exhaustion of trying to get her son to sleep. Despite the routine becoming inescapable, Heller’s use of montaging special moments of bonding help to balance out the anxiety and unconditional love a mother and her child have for one another from the day of birth.

While the bond is unbreakable between her and her son, there is a layer of frustration that itches away at her. Her husband (Scoot McNairy), who is never referred to as father within this story, is away for work more often than not. When he’s home, everything is still left for mother to handle, which in time creates resentment. We have a stereotypical portrayal of a man in the modern era that is more glued to his PlayStation than adult responsibilities. A simple 10 minute sofa time for her is interrupted by her husband seeking help during bath time. It’s from these moments in the film that become heavily evident that Mother is seeking parts of her life prior to motherhood again, a life with greater artistic creativity and freedom.

Nightbitch is much more than a woman struggling to navigate being a mum. It’s wild and humorous, whilst still representing what most first time mothers feel – a sense of loss of one’s former selves. Through Mother’s narration, the film acts as a safe haven to those struggling thoughts of finding things both incredibly hard, yet so beautiful at the same time. It’s about bringing new life to the world that shares the same genetics as you and your loved one, but also having to accept a new reality of mourning a life you used to live and adore. As Mother’s disconnect from herself continues to grow, so does the hair on her back. It’s at this point she begins to start developing dog qualities, convinced she is turning into one. It starts as a playful game with her son and sharing meals in dog bowls to Mother fully surrendering herself to her primal urges – embracing the wild, selfless life she is craving.

What is interesting to note is the film is described as being a comedic horror film without actually incorporating any horror into the film itself. Heller doesn’t go that extra mile in exploring the weirdness of the dog element of the narrative, which makes the film at times feel random to what it is trying to achieve. Childbirth is painful, bloody and both emotionally and physically life changing  – but it’s also a stunning transformation. If Nightbitch had channelled body horror qualities it arguably could have unpacked the likeliness of the experience. Instead, it lightly covers those struggles by masking it as just a career awakening.

Amy Adams here is both erratic, nurturing and graceful. Her performance within Nightbitch is something most can relate to – the fears and anxieties over life’s natural progressions and the changes that come over time. She brings her best comedic timing, while also making us low key feel it’s normal to have such canine qualities.

Nightbitch is funny, bold and also slightly mad. It is a love letter to mothers everywhere, not only celebrating their strength and mental endurance but also an acceptance that it’s okay to have freedom outside of motherhood. It’s not a perfect film, but that’s okay – just like life and navigating adulthood – nothing is. If anything, it represents that real life is just one big exploration of one’s self and learning how to juggle responsibilities and one’s goals.