Based upon the book by Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch follows an unnamed mother (Amy Adams) who stays at home with her son (Arleigh and Emmett Snowden) day in and day out while her husband (Scoot McNairy) goes to work. Fed up with the monotony, she can’t help but think that she might be turning into a dog.
There’s no denying the strange premise of the film. A woman changing into a dog is not entirely realistic, but there is something interesting about it all the same. Adams, who has been in a variety of different roles throughout her career, gives an outstanding performance as our protagonist. She wasn’t afraid to bare it all and really go there to get the point across and her Golden Globe nomination is certainly warranted. You feel for her character throughout the film as she struggles to keep it all together.
With that being said, McNairy also gave a commendable performance as the husband. At times you want to dislike him for what he puts Adams’ character through, but then you start to feel for him too. The two had a great and real chemistry together. Zoë Chao, Mary Holland and Archana Rajan who play the mother’s eventual friends were a lovely addition and helped liven things up a bit.
The actual transformation from woman to dog was not what I was expecting. Part of me wishes they had taken it even further than they did, showcasing some more of those pivotal moments than just the sprouting of a tail and growing body hair. I did enjoy the magical realism and the depiction of motherhood, however. It was a different approach and it did seem to hit the nail on the head.
Nightbitch is a film unlike any that I have ever seen before. The premise is wild, but I felt like it worked. Thanks to some incredible performances by Amy Adams and Scoot McNairy, it may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but there was something entrancing about it that I can’t stop thinking about it twenty four hours later.
Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5
Credits Rolling 