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Of all the movies at the Toronto International Film Festival 2024, I was probably the most curious about Nightbitch. The Marielle Heller-written and directed film, based on the book by Rachel Yoder, sees a brutally realistic depiction of motherhood with a brilliantly outrageous premise. Nightbitch is anchored by an almost career-best performance from Amy Adams and was one of my most well-liked films of TIFF 2024. Read on for my non-spoiler Nightbitch review.
Nightbitch Is One Of The Best Movies At TIFF 2024
Nightbitch is about a former artist turned stay-at-home mother who is grappling with the challenges of motherhood. Even more so, with the concept of motherhood as forced upon women by society. The movie itself isn’t heavy-handed or preachy, but it frames these topics through the very personal experience of a mother, played by Amy Adams.
As she navigates the tumultuous time of being a new mother, Adams’ character also has to deal with a husband who is away from home often for his work. Feeling alone and isolated, the mother also suffers through the pretense of this being an emotionally fulfilling time in her life, as is expected of mothers. And this is at the expense of being honest about one of the most difficult and precious experiences of their lives.
Nightbitch Succeeds In Blending Contrasting Tones
Director Heller does a great job of blending the humor and lighthearted moments with the ones that are resoundingly real and are far from funny. The majority of the humor comes from very real experiences that mothers and fathers can all relate to. The film highlights typical moments of misunderstanding and inconsideration from partners that at times may hit very close to home for some sections of the audience. But the brilliance of those scenes is where Nightbitch excels.
While there is a much wilder subplot at work in Nightbitch, what makes the movie so great is the very grounded experiences of Adams’ mother, which also feel like the collective experiences of motherhood in general. Heller and Adams, through their respective talents, bring to life these experiences of raising a baby that is frustrating, infuriating, adorable, life-changing, and crushingly tedious—sometimes simultaneously. And Heller makes it all work wonderfully.
How Nightbitch Grounds Itself
Amy Adams gives one of her career-best performances in Nightbitch. She plays the mother with a complete disregard for any type of insecurity or self-consciousness. She opens herself completely to the character and this story in a way that feels surprisingly refreshing. Adams carries Nightbitch with her performance, which is such a singular reflection of those who experience motherhood.
Supporting her is her husband, played by Scoot McNairy. McNairy’s husband is again a well-balanced take on the male journey of raising a child, which, at times, is an entirely different experience altogether, despite being lumped in with a mother’s experience. Through the father, Heller depicts just how big the disconnect is between motherhood and fatherhood. But showcases enough nuance where neither side is demonized, while still not pulling any punches on holding some men accountable for their lack of support or empathy.
Nightbitch is a captivatingly innovative film about mothers and their ability to deal with literally anything. It takes a very grounded idea and seeps it in some absolutely bonkers genre elements that make the story that much more interesting. Especially with Adams’ incredible performance here.
Rating: B+
Nightbitch had its premiere at TIFF 2024.
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Nightbitch
A woman, thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.
