Films for Breakfast

The general conceit of Nightbitch is a fun one on paper – aspiring artist turned stay-at-home mom, who isn’t given a name, starts to suspect she may be turning into a dog. Based on the novel by Rachel Yoder, director Marielle Heller tackles themes of motherhood, aging, sexism, and gender roles anchored by Amy Adams, who turns in a bizarre and fascinating performance. But in an age where these themes have been tackled in so many different and unique ways, does Nightbitch have an interesting perspective on that? And am I, Adam (27 year-old male) the guy to even comment on that? Because for my money, Nightbitch feels a bit repetitive despite its gonzo premise – however, I can totally buy into someone watching it and feeling seen by it. And that’s the beauty of art!

As I previously stated, the entire film is focused on Amy Adam’s character who simply is known as The Mother, until she decides to call herself Nightbitch. Adams is one of the best working actresses today, and firmly in Leo DiCaprio’s old camp as one of the finest actors yet to receive an Academy Award. It’s no surprise to me that she’s turning in interesting work here, as a woman who suspects she’s turning into an animal is a fascinating role for any actor to tackle. However, what I was most surprised by is how that was the least interesting aspect of not only her performance, but the film as a whole for me. Adams is turning in her best work here when it’s focused on her as an overworked and underappreciated mother trying to get a grasp on the woman she once was, opposed to the moments where she is growling or examining her unusually sharp teeth.

It’s not at all lost on me that the transformation for The Mother into Nightbitch is in itself an allegory for what motherhood does to people, but the best moments of the film is where it has nothing to do with that. A standout moment features The Mother meeting with other Moms at a library for a concert, where she reminisces on what her life used to be like and the art she once made. There are handful of fantastic sequences between her and her husband, portrayed wonderfully by the always-fantastic Scoot McNairy. Their chemistry together, and at times lack-thereof, is what holds the film together and grounds it in a believable way. I feel like I know so many married couples that are exactly like them, and it helps the film feel more relatable.

Marielle Heller has been one of the most fascinating filmmakers in recent years for my money, as I absolutely loved her debut film Diary of a Teenage Girl and contend that A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is one of the most criminally underrated films of the last five-years. In both of those films, she has a truly keen eye for an empathetic yet honest lens for her lead characters – the same feels true for The Mother here. However, it does feel like Heller’s empathetic and tender sensibilities as a filmmaker clash with the inherent weirdness of the core premise of Nightbitch at times. This doesn’t ruin the entire film, but it makes it tonally awkward at times and makes the film feel cold even when it’s attempting for heartfelt.

The film has a pretty wicked sense of humor that I appreciated at times, but I also feel as if the film stayed in a pretty neutral ground between trying to be moderately weird yet never fully committing to its premise. This often clashes with everything else the film is going for, making for a film that coasts by easily enough yet feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. Adams’ performance is undeniably great and there are a handful of memorable moments, but Nightbitch feels merely passable when it should inherently be one of the most memorable films of the year.

3/5